


Lass Ride: Changing Gears

by combatfaerie



Series: Lass Ride [4]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bikers, Brollins, Don't copy to another site, F/M, Sexual Content, The Four Horsewomen, rollynch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:56:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 37,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24332422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/combatfaerie/pseuds/combatfaerie
Summary: A sequel to LASS RIDE and LASS RIDE: CROSSROADS. When Becky Lynch chose to return to WWE in order to help her friends, it was one of the most difficult decisions she ever had to make. But now the path before her is split once again and she doesn't know which way to take—and this time, she risks being left behind completely.
Relationships: Becky Lynch | Rebecca Knox/Seth Rollins | Tyler Black
Series: Lass Ride [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1566157
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

Becky's memories of Florida were mostly fond ones: warm weather, good friends, getting back into wrestling after being away from it for so long. The weather was still great and she was with Naomi and the Usos, so she had good friends too, but the cherished memories now felt bittersweet. Florida was where she had first met Charlotte and Bayley and Sasha, and she hadn't seen them in person for months. Along with Dean and Seth and Roman, the rest of the Four Horsewomen called as often as they could and texted so often that Becky had to delete message threads at least twice a week, but it wasn't the same as being with her friends in person. 

Even watching the easy, teasing camaraderie between Naomi and Jimmy and Jey could make Becky tear up, but she was determined to have a good time. Hunter had okayed a week off for them in January, and since Becky had just gone home to Ireland for Christmas, she wasn't sure what to do with her time off. Visiting her friends on the indie circuit would have been her first choice, but she knew Hunter would be watching for that. Any transgression on her part would scupper not only her tentative contract with the WWE, but also the deal she had arranged for her friends that let them use their former names and personas. If the risk had been for her alone, Becky might have chanced it. There had been plenty of bleak days and desperate nights where she wanted nothing more than to hug Charlotte or kiss Seth or get advice from Roman. But since her behaviour determined their future opportunities, she had to be more cautious. She had managed to sneak in to a couple of their indie events, but otherwise their interactions had been purely electronic.

When Naomi had invited her down to Florida, saying Jimmy and Jey wanted to check out a new property they had bought together, Becky figured it was as good a distraction as any and so far she wasn't wrong. The Usos kept her spirits up with humour and Naomi had always been a great friend. "You know we got a big family," Jey was saying as he unlocked the gate that guarded what looked like an old Spanish-style villa. "So we wanted a place where we could all be together, you know? For holidays, get-togethers, all that."

"It made more sense to buy something and fix it up," Jimmy continued, "than keep renting half a hotel at a time, right? And it's got a courtyard with a pool, so we can throw stuff from balcony to balcony, floor to floor. It's going to be wicked."

"It was originally a private residence," Naomi explained, arm looped around Becky's waist. "But the last owners turned it into a hotel, which is kind of perfect, because it means it's already divided up into suites. We just have to install kitchenettes in each suite and then they'll be self-contained." Bumping shoulders with Becky, she winked and added, "And I get my own suite for when I can't stand my guy, so whenever you're in the area, you're welcome to use it. All you have to do is ask and I'll set you up."

"Thanks." Becky kept craning her neck to admire the architecture as they entered the courtyard area. The building looked like it was in good condition for the most part; any repairs to the outside would be mostly cosmetic. Peeking into the window of a suite without curtains, it looked like the same could be said for the rooms: the decor was a bit outdated, but still serviceable. _And who doesn't love the 80s?_ Becky thought as she saw some particularly bright wallpaper. The whole place had a relaxing vibe, and the pool looked so inviting that she wanted to dump her bag on a lounge chair and jump right in, clothes and all. "This place is going to be amazing. It already looks great. You can't have too much work to do."

Jey shook his head. "Nah, not really. Updating bathrooms for sure. Installing the kitchenettes in each suite. Upgrading the elevator. Deciding to do with the old common areas, like the dining room and the big kitchen. Actually, those might stay. The family's big enough to make use of them."

Jimmy slid his hands in his pockets and nodded, winking at his twin. "Yeah. And they still work, more or less, so it's good enough for all of us now."

"All of us?" Becky glanced around. Naomi hadn't mentioned other family members being around, but she didn't mind; the Samoan wrestling dynasty was vast and while Becky knew quite a few members, she was always happy to meet more.

"Yeah. We're everywhere."

The voice was enough to make Becky's breath catch, but the familiar chuckle—one she hadn't heard in person for months—cinched it. She turned just in time to see Roman entering the courtyard from the other side, and then a flash of teal—Sasha's newest hair colour. Person after person stepped out of the door and started winding their way around the pool. "Naomi? What's going on?" Becky wasn't sure if she was going to cry or faint. Probably both at once, with her luck.

Jimmy pulled Becky into a quick hug. "We told you this place was for family. Of course Big Uce is going to have a suite."

"He wanted to come check the place out and he asked if he could bring a few friends," Jey added with a huge grin. "And then we got a week off, so we thought _Why not make a party of it?_ "

Because of the shadows cast by the balconies of the second floor, Becky couldn't see the faces of her friends that well, but a quick count told her they should all be there, all dressed for swimming or the beach. "Go on, girl!" Naomi gave her a gentle shove. "Go hug your crew!"

Becky didn't need much more prompting. Abandoning her bag, she ran towards the oncoming group and quickly found her feet in the air as Charlotte swept her into a spinning hug. "It's been so fucking hard keeping this a secret!" Charlotte said, sobbing and smiling all at once. "I've been looking forward to it for weeks!" She nearly lost her balance and sent both of them into the pool, but she grabbed a column at the last moment and managed to steady herself.

"Charlotte!" Sasha snapped. "Get back here! The rest of us want to hug her too!"

" _My_ best friend. Mine. You can wait." But after rocking her back and forth for another moment, whispering how much she had missed her and had been looking forward to their secret shared vacation, Charlotte reluctantly set Becky back on her feet. "I love you. I missed you so much." She planted a loud, messy kiss on Becky's forehead. "We have so much to talk about."

Sasha tugged on Becky's arm before Charlotte could try hugging her again. "Come over here. Come on, Bayley. We can share." Bayley hugged her from the other side, creating a tangle of hair and elbows and sobbed words that ran together. "Girl, you're killing it out there. Not that there was any doubt."

"You're totally going to have the title before WrestleMania," Bayley predicted, squeezing Becky for all she was worth. " _You're going to be a champion going into WrestleMania!_ That's amazing!"

"You know, I remember someone saying _The rest of us want to hug her too!_ about . . . oh, five minutes ago," Roman chuckled, tapping Sasha and Bayley on their shoulders. "Let me have a quick hug before I go visit my boys."

"Fine, fine." Sighing, Sasha stepped back and kissed Becky's cheek. "Not that we don't want to see you too, Naomi."

Naomi laughed it off as she was hugging Charlotte. "Girl, I knew what I was in for when we invited y'all. Don't worry about it. Just get your asses over here so I can hug you too."

"On it." Bayley looped an arm around Sasha's shoulders and headed over to where the Usos and Naomi were watching Becky's reunion with a mixture of happiness and satisfaction.

Roman kissed Becky's forehead first, ruffling her hair. "Hey, Irish. Sorry about the secret. We just thought you might appreciate a good surprise."

Becky went on tiptoe to hug him, and this time she was prepared to be lifted off her feet. "This is the best surprise. Thank you." She dried her face on his shoulder and laughed. "Sorry. It's just tears, I promise. No snot."

"As Heath Slater would say, I've got kids," Roman said with a smile. "It takes more than some snot to worry me." He gave Becky an extra squeeze before setting her down. "I expect you'll have a busy day tomorrow, but I will be stealing you for a walk-and-talk."

"Believe that." Becky got his catch phrase out before he could. Then there were only three people left to greet, and she could see that Seth was lingering in the shadows, content for the moment to watch everyone else reunite; the hugs shared with Naomi and the Usos were just as warm and even more overdue. "Hey, Renee."

"Hey, Becks." The announcer stepped up and hugged Becky fiercely. "We'll talk later, but is everything still going okay?"

Becky squeezed Renee's hands when she pulled back and gave her a genuine smile. Renee had been the last of them to leave WWE, and her insights had been invaluable to finding a way to fit in again. "I'm good. I miss all of you like mad, of course, but otherwise I'm okay." There were problems, of course, ranging from petty irritations to looming uncertainties, but Becky didn't want to dwell on those. She didn't want to think about anything related to work while her friends were there.

Dean stepped up next, spreading his arms wide. "Hey, Irish. Team Troublemakers, reunited at last." He hugged her tight and bent close to whisper into her ear. "Do you need to cut any bitches? If so, can I help? Please let me help."

"I'm good, really," Becky laughed. She patted Dean's chest when she stood back. "But if any bitches need cutting, you'll be the first one I call. Just don't tell Charlotte that."

"That would involve me talking to Charlotte. Which would involve me talking to another human. Not really high on my wish list." Then Dean glanced back at Seth. "Have at him. Just don't wreck him so much that he can't walk. We've got a multi-night gig in Seattle next weekend and we need him to be in decent shape."

"You see how he's devolving without you around? Renee said, jabbing Dean in the chest. Becky noted that there was still only one ring on her left hand and none yet on Dean's, and she felt a stab of guilt for being happy that she hadn't missed their wedding.

Then Dean and Renee drifted towards the others, leaving Becky and Seth alone under the shadowy cover of the balcony. "Hey." His voice was somehow rough and squeaky at the same time. "I like the new hair."

"Thanks." WWE had paid for new professional extensions, but after a while Becky missed her natural, normal hair and had approached Hunter about a change. She didn't exactly want a hair match, so instead they had explained the haircut in the storyline by having Mandy Rose turn heel and attack her backstage, taking scissors to Becky's extensions before being pulled away by referees and security. It gave a plausible excuse for Becky to have somewhat shorter hair and the bonus of eventually setting up a match between Becky and Sonya Deville, which she had been trying to get for months. Feeling the stares of their friends on her back, Becky stepped closer. "I know I really have no right to ask this and maybe . . . maybe you're seeing someone now or something, but—" Becky's hands twitched and she forced them flat against her thighs. "But can I kiss you? Just once?"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Seth's voice was soft and somewhat strangled, but the shadows made it hard to read his already dark gaze.

Becky's heart felt like it shuddered to a stop. _Of course he has a girlfriend now. Probably someone from the indie circuit or something. Someone he can actually see in person more than two or three times a year._ "Right. Of course." Of course he wouldn't tell her something like that in a text or even over the phone; he probably thought it would be insensitive, even though they had never really been an official couple. "Well, I hope things are going goo—"

"I'm going to need more than one." Then Seth's hands were cradling her jaw, tilting her face upward and Becky barely registered a wolf whistle before she felt Seth's lips on hers, luxuriously soft but pressing hard enough to steal her breath and her common sense and making her wonder where the closest open room was.

"Let my girl breathe!" Naomi called out with a rich laugh. "We have to bring her back in one piece!"

Roman cleared his throat loud enough for it to echo in the courtyard. "We're going to go check out the kitchen and common areas and then go for a swim. Just sayin'."

Seth already had her pressed against the wall, hands sliding up her back. "I wanted to tell you about this so bad, but Roman said we had to keep it a secret. I kept worrying that you wouldn't want—"

"Shut up." Becky pulled his head back down to hers before tugging at the waistband of his board shorts. "They've gone inside. We can—"

Neither of them needed much convincing. Seth pushed Becky's shorts and panties down to her knees, letting her kick them down the rest of the way while he shoved his board shorts down just enough to get his cock out. Then he was inside her, each thrust pushing her against the wall. The rough texture scratched at her back and her ass, but Becky was too ecstatic to care. She had almost a whole week to spend catching up with her friends—to fuck Seth after months without sex—and she was going to savour every single second. Their frantic kisses muffled most of their moans, and Becky climaxed so hard and so quickly that she curled herself around Seth completely, arms and legs nearly tangling around his back. "Oh fuck. Oh god." Becky's head fell back against the wall and she didn't even flinch when some of her hair got stuck. "Holy fuck, I needed that."

Still inside her, Seth pressed closer, kissing her neck. "I've been dreaming of that ever since Jimmy called Roman and set all this up." Only then did he glance around at their relatively open surroundings; they couldn't be seen from the road, but they were in plain view of the pool and most of the suites. "Well, maybe not out here," he admitted, "but I'd have you anywhere you—"

"Keys? Do you have room keys?" Becky could see her bag across the courtyard and it felt like it was miles away.

Seth nodded eagerly. "First floor, room twelve." He patted his lowered shorts just to make sure they hadn't fallen out while they were fucking.

"Good." Becky reluctantly loosened her arms and legs from around him and stood on her own, sighing as their bodies parted. _It's only for a few minutes,_ she told herself, grabbing her shorts and panties but not bothering to put them back on. There wasn't much point, not when the goal was to be naked as soon as possible.

All the suites on the first floor had doors that opened out onto the courtyard, and Seth found number twelve easily, jamming the key in so quickly Becky was worried it might break. "I hope they switch to keycards when they renovate," Seth muttered, pushing the door in when he finally got the lock open. 

It wasn't going to be a permanent hideaway for them, not if Roman's extended family would be personalizing their suites, but for the time being, it was an unexpected haven. They nearly tripped over Seth's bag as they pulled off his board shorts and the rest of Becky's clothes and tumbled onto the bed, kissing and touching and fucking eagerly until they heard loud voices from the courtyard. "The curtains are closed, right?" Becky asked. Her face was pressed to the mattress, so she couldn't tell.

Behind her, Seth barely paused, fingers digging into her hips. "Yeah. We're fi—"

A sharp knock made him hesitate, which made Becky almost growl in reply, pushing her hips back against him. "No rush," Roman called out, "but when you're done, we've got the barbecue going."

"Thanks." Seth's voice was strangled by both a laugh and a moan as Becky wriggled against him. When Roman didn't reply, Seth assumed their friend had left and started fucking in earnest again, making her clutch at the sheets. The interruption made their orgasms feel slightly incomplete, but they were both grinning when Seth collapsed on the bed beside her. "This will be an interesting walk of shame."

Becky shook her head as she leaned over to kiss him. "No shame. They know better. They shouldn't have left us unsupervised if they wanted us to be on time." She still made herself sit up, though, and she staggered to her feet. "I'm stealing your shower. I'll be quick."

Eyes shut, Seth was sprawled on the bed. "Take your time."

It was one of the fastest showers Becky had ever taken, and since she had wrestled for some pretty sketchy organizations, she knew how to shower fast. If she was going to be hanging out in the pool, there wasn't much point to totally drying off—even if her bag was on the other side of the courtyard—so she got dressed quickly and went back into the main room, where Seth was still on the bed. "I'll go out first," she said. "Maybe Charlotte will be so happy to see me that it'll deflect from the fact that I'm the only one not in her swimsuit."

Seth's eyes roamed her body eagerly. "I can help with that."

"You're usually better at the _undressing_ part." Smoothing sweaty curls out of his face, Becky gave him a lingering kiss before heading to the courtyard door. "If you don't want anyone seeing the goods," she warned, "you better cover up." She grabbed his board shorts from the floor and tossed them on the bed, but Seth pulled a pillow over his groin instead. "See you in a few."

"Mmhmm." Becky opened and closed the door as quickly as she could, but sunlight still cast stripes against Seth's chest as she exited.

The others didn't exactly fallen to a standstill when she arrived, but there were enough knowing glances that it was obvious everyone knew. Becky wasn't going to apologize, though. She had been fighting and clawing her way back up in WWE for months, so if she wanted to unwind with a little sex with a willing partner, where was the harm? "So. Rollins, huh?" Jey asked. Becky had told Naomi bits and pieces about what had happened between her and Seth, but apparently Naomi hadn't passed it along to her husband or his brother. "Burn it down, I guess, if that's your thing."

Jimmy just handed her a beer. "Naomi put your bag in your room. You're number twenty-one, first floor," he said, pointing to a door that was almost exactly across the courtyard from Seth's as he handed her a key.

On her way to her room, Becky passed by Dean and Renee, cozied up on a lounge chair technically meant for one. "Are we going to have to put in a strict _No skinny dipping_ rule, Irish?"

Renee slapped his arm gently. "And deprive me of seeing all these gorgeous people naked? Monster."

Before Becky reached her door, Charlotte jogged up. "Hey, Becks. Can we chat while you're changing into your swimsuit?"

Becky would have loved a small moment to herself, just to bask in the wonderful surprise of having all her friends around her and having sex with Seth again, but she nodded. "You just want to see my boobs, admit it," she joked, opening the door to her suite and motioning Charlotte inside. It looked much the same as Seth's—what she remembered of his, anyway; she had been focussed on things other than decor. As promised, her bag was waiting for her, sitting on the foot of her bed.

"I missed them too," Charlotte grinned back. She sat on the bed and opened Becky's bag, then paused. "Anything I'm not allowed to see?"

The question took Becky by surprise. Once upon a time, the Four Horsewomen had thought nothing of going into each other's bags; it was almost like communal property. "No, go ahead. I didn't realize any of you were going to be here," she added, "or I would have brought presents."

"I think you've already got Seth's Christmas and birthday covered," Charlotte said with a wink. "Or should I say Easter, because I'm sure he had definitely risen." She rummaged around the bag until she found one of Becky's bikinis. "This one good?"

Becky nodded, peeling off her shirt and bra and tossing them on the bed. "Yeah. And I know I probably shouldn't have done anything with Seth. . . ." She glanced towards her window, glad the curtains were shut—and not just because she was half naked. If she had seen him walk out of his room, it wouldn't have helped her wavering self-control much. "But it's been months and—"

Charlotte handed her the bikini top and motioned for Becky to turn around so she could tie it in place. "Becks, you don't have to justify yourself to me—to anyone. If you were both willing and you enjoyed it, that's what matters. I was kind of hoping you were banging Cesaro, but I guess not, huh?"

Becky blushed a bit, leaning forward so her hair shielded her face. Cesaro was a great friend and a complete gentleman, but he had also made it very clear that he would be happy to have whatever kind of relationship she was comfortable with, even if it was purely sexual. And she had been tempted more than once. "No, sorry. I can give him your number if you want. . . ." She stepped out of her shorts and panties and left them on the bed too before pulling the bikini bottoms into place.

Charlotte shook her head and glanced away, but not before Becky noticed that her cheeks had gone pink too. "No. I'm—I'm sort of seeing someone. That's what I wanted to tell you. The others don't know, not even Sasha or Bayley." Her bashful smile softened her whole face. "I wanted to share it with my bestie first."

It made Becky feel equal measures touched and guilty. She and Charlotte had shared so much over the years, and now she wasn't there for her best friend when her life was in flux: wrestling in the indies, dealing with her father's unstable health, and now in a new relationship. "That's great!" Becky sat beside Charlotte and hugged her tightly. "Who is it?"

"You've been following us as much as you can, right?" When Becky nodded, Charlotte continued. "His name's Andrade. His family is big in the lucha scene, but he's kind of a hybrid." Her blush deepened as she added, "We kind of started out like you and Seth. Sex first—we were at a bar celebrating his first title win in America, and then next thing I knew we were fucking in a bathroom stall."

Becky was about to say she and Seth hadn't ever fucked in a bathroom stall, but she wasn't entirely sure, so she just nodded. "And it must have been good, because. . . ?"

"He asked me out to dinner the next day," Charlotte laughed. "A fancy restaurant. He said if we were going to fuck in the bathroom, there should at least be a gilt mirror." The soft, shy smile never left her face. "He's really great, though. He's so sweet. He understands what it's like to be born into a wrestling legacy, so we talk about that a lot—as much as we can, anyway. He's still learning English, and you know my Spanish is shit."

"I'm so glad you're happy." Becky hugged her best friend close. "Next time I can sneak away to a show, I'll let you know. I'd love to meet him."

For a second time that evening, a knock on the door interrupted an intimate moment. "Okay, if you're fucking Charlotte now, that's just ridiculous. You need to pace yourself, Irish. Plus Renee also wants to know when it's her turn." Dean's laughter made the door shake as a sharp _Dean!_ rang out in the courtyard. 

"We'll be right out!" Becky hollered back, standing up and examining her reflection to make sure Seth hadn't left any noticeable hickeys or other marks. There were some light red marks around her hips that might eventually blossom into bruises, but she figured they would be okay for the rest of the evening. "Come on." She held her hand out to Charlotte, feeling unabashedly happy for the first time in weeks. "Let's go party."


	2. Chapter 2

As vacations went, it was one of the most low-key ones Becky had ever had. Since the WWE wrestlers didn't want to get in trouble by being spotted—and likely photographed or recorded—with their indie friends, they didn't all go out together or even in small groups. But that didn't mean they were stuck inside the villa all day long. Sunglasses and hats were enough of a disguise if it was just two or three of them together, and having the villa to themselves meant they could be up at all hours, using their precious time to catch up.

Their days started with cozy familiarity. Everyone gathered in the kitchen and pitched in to make a huge group breakfast. Some prepared their favourites or signature dishes, while others experimented with new recipes since they had a captive audience. After the clean-up was done, everyone wandered off for the day, almost always meeting back at the villa for a shared late supper. Becky's mornings usually involved a walk along the beach with Charlotte so she could learn more about Andrade. When Charlotte called Andrade during one of the walks and offered to give the phone to Becky, he was almost intimidated, which made Becky laugh. "You're her best friend," Andrade explained when Becky took Charlotte's phone. "If I upset you, I'm done for."

"If you upset Charlotte," Becky countered with a chuckle, "you're really done for." The language barrier Charlotte spoke about was even more pronounced between Becky and Andrade due to her Irish accent, but he seemed like a good guy who truly cared about Charlotte—not her last name, not her family legacy—so Becky was pleased. "He passes the first test," she declared after Charlotte ended the call. "He seems nice."

"I'd complain about not being able to grill Seth," Charlotte retorted, "but considering I've been on the road with him for months, that's pretty much covered by this point." When Becky started to blush, Charlotte adjusted her friend's hat. "Don't want you going back with a sunburn. So . . . anything you want to know about Seth?"

Becky shook her head. "I should be asking him that, not you. I just . . . I just hope he knows that he doesn't have to wait for me. Three years is a really long time, and we're not always going to be able to manage things like this. It could be a year or more before we get to spend any time together."

"Trust me, Becks. You have nothing to worry about. I've seen fans try to give him their hotel key and he always hands them right back. At a signing, one girl flashed him and he basically told her to put them away and he had her removed by security." Charlotte shook her head and shrugged. "He couldn't be less interested in anyone else from what I can see. He's the one who always makes sure we don't miss your calls. He's the one who's figuring out time zones and travel routes and trying to think of any possible way our paths can intersect again."

Roman echoed the sentiment when they had late morning coffees, sitting on the rooftop and enjoying the panoramic view. "I wouldn't have let him come along if I thought it was going to be painful for you," he said. "This whole place is about family. Do I trust him more than I did? Sure. Has he added to The Shield? Hell yeah. But he's not family yet. You are. If he does anything, say the word and he's out, simple as that."

"Just because we had a . . . a thing doesn't mean he's tied to me forever." Becky still wasn't sure what to call their relationship. The sexual component was obvious; their nights were either spent in his bed or hers, but never alone. There was definite friendship there too: she appreciated his darker sense of humour, his taste in music, his dedication to wrestling and his ability to adapt. But it felt wrong to expect any sort of exclusivity or fidelity when they were forced to spend so much time apart. "He's a great wrestler, Roman. No matter what happens between us, he deserves opportunities." She leaned over and kissed Roman's cheek. "Now that I'm not getting it every day, I appreciate the big brother routine a bit more," she said with a smile, "but there are some things you can't protect me from, and a broken heart is one of them."

"That won't stop me from trying," Roman retorted, hugging her close.

Dean and Renee were of a similar mind, though Renee was more forgiving. "I won't say he misses you more than the rest of us," Renee remarked as she twirled her golf club like a baton. Dean was on a quest to go to a different mini golf course each afternoon, and this one was space-themed, filled with rockets and astronaut imagery and golf balls painted like the planets. "Because we all miss you like crazy. But the way he acts . . . that's not _Damn, I miss hooking up_ level moping."

Dean spread his hands wide after he had landed his shot. "What? What is this? If I'd said that, someone would be chastising me. But Renee can say it and it's okay?"

Renee patted her fiance's cheek and shut him up with a kiss. "I said it so you wouldn't have to." When she rested her head against his chest, she heard a crinkle and she frowned. "What is that? You're not collecting other people's parking tickets again, are you?"

Dean met Becky's gaze over Renee's shoulder and winked. "Nah." Reaching inside his jacket, he pulled out an official-looking piece of paper. "When Roman told me about the villa, I thought it sounded kinda nice. Becky would be here, and you like Naomi and the Usos. We could finally get married." Then he unfolded a marriage licence and held it out for her to read.

" _What?_ " Renee's eyes went wide. "I don't have a dress—"

"You've got that flowy sundress thing in your bag," Dean interjected. "Who cares that it has a pineapple print on it?"

Renee gave him a gentle shove. "Rings! We don't have rings!" 

Dean herded her gently to the next hole and Becky followed, quietly beaming. She would have completely understood if her friends had gotten married in her absence, but if she could be there for them, it would be the crowning touch to the unexpected holiday. "You could go shopping for some this afternoon," Becky suggested, "or get them later. . . ."

"Yes! Listen to the Irish one! She makes sense." Dean kissed Renee and touched his forehead to hers. "We've got a private venue and we've got friends. We can find an officiant or whatever online. Everything we really need, we have. Isn't that the important thing?"

"Yes." With tears streaming down her face, Renee kissed him again. "Yes. Okay. Let's go find an officiant and call the others and—shit! There's so much to do!"

Dean tapped her arm with his club. "Plus we still have two more holes. Winner gets to choose the song for the first dance."

And that was how Becky ended up shopping for a dress at the last minute with Sasha and Bayley. Charlotte always had a dress in her bag, so she and Naomi were helping Renee prepare while the guys set up the courtyard for the small ceremony. "When are you finally going to get married, Bayley?" Sasha asked, holding a bright yellow dress up to her best friend. "You've been engaged forever."

"I know. And for now, I'm cool with that. I honestly don't know if I want the whole dress and ceremony thing. It seems like so much work for just one day, and there are so many things that can go wrong." Bayley took the dress and looked at her reflection in the nearest mirror. "Nah. What about that purple one, though? The galaxy print? The yellow would be great on you, Sash. Add it to your pile to try." She handed the yellow dress back and took the purple one instead.

"It would go with your hair," Becky added, shaking out the dress she had chosen. If Renee was going to be wearing a sundress with a pineapple print, she didn't see the point in going super fancy, and she didn't want to wear white to a wedding, no matter how informal. Then she had spotted the retro black dress with the flame print and decided that if she was going to buy more stuff to take home, it should at least be something fun. "But you look good in everything. You too, Bayley."

"Aw." Purple dress in hand, Bayley came over to hug Becky. "Is Renee going to have a bouquet? If she is, you better be careful not to catch it or Seth might get ideas."

Becky rolled her eyes. "Because he totally wants to marry someone he gets to see a few times a year, I'm sure. I like him, Bayley. I really like him. But we barely know each other. He doesn't know my middle name or my worst habits. He hasn't met my family. That stuff matters to me."

"He wants to, though." Sasha hugged her from the other side, resting her chin on her shoulder. "And that counts for something too, you know? I mean, I'm not saying you have to marry him today or next year or ever, but I don't think you're taking his feelings seriously enough."

Becky didn't respond right away, and when they all went to the dressing rooms to try on their choices, she thought about what her friends had been telling her all week long. Sasha was definitely not Seth's biggest fan, but even she seemed to think he was legit. As Becky tried her dress on again—she had already visited the dressing rooms twice while Sasha had been debating over every second dress in the store—she tried to clear her mind, but it was impossible. She still couldn't believe that she was spending almost an entire week with the friends she had left behind, let alone attending a wedding that had been put into motion mere hours ago. "Still good?" she asked as she stepped out of the stall.

"Perfect." To Becky's surprise, Sasha had started with a print dress as well, sunny yellow with rows of neon sunglasses. It was something her in-ring persona could make work just as well as she could. "This one," she declared, going back into the dressing room and grabbing the other contenders to put them on the discard rack. "What about you, Bay?"

"All the print ones make me look like a kid," Bayley complained, doing a quick twirl in a dark purple dress that Becky had thought was printed with galaxies, but was actually cat faces. "But space cats are fun, right?"

Becky and Sasha both nodded. There were some styles that Bayley could pull off with her exuberance that just didn't work for either of them. "You look super cute," Sasha declared. "Always."

"One day I'll move beyond 'cute'." Bayley still smiled at the compliment, though, and seemed happy enough with how she looked in the dress. "But it'll work for today."

By the time the three of them bought their dresses and made their way back to the villa, the preparations in the courtyard were in full swing and Becky realized that the only person she hadn't spent any quality time with yet that day was Seth: she had the walk with Charlotte, coffee with Roman, lunch out with Naomi and the Usos since they could all be seen together in public, and then the fateful mini-golf game—there was a phrase she never thought she would use in her life—with Dean and Renee that led to the shopping trip with Bayley and Sasha. 

"Later," Seth said after setting down a stereo speaker and giving her a quick kiss. "I can be patient."

Becky only had a couple days left before she and Naomi and the Usos were back on the WWE circuit, and at first she had thought this trip would be refreshing. It was—it was reinvigorating and fun and full of surprises and discoveries—but the bittersweet tang of parting ways was already souring her memories. _Enjoy tonight,_ she told herself as she went to drop off her bag in her suite and then go back to help. _Enjoy tonight and tomorrow and all the days you have left with them. Don't let the ending spoil the middle._


	3. Chapter 3

No two weddings were alike, not even the traditional religious ceremonies. The officiant Dean found looked like he was vaguely stoned, but his paperwork checked out, and that was the most important thing. The sound system had the annoying habit of speeding up every fourth song, but they just adjusted the playlist in kind. It was too late to get proper catering, so they placed a rush order at Dean and Renee's favourite restaurant and arranged everything in the dining hall. It looked rushed, which it definitely was, but love and care were evident in every element, and Renee hadn't stopped smiling since she put her pineapple dress on. "Good thing none of these photos are being leaked online," she said in a mock threatening voice, looking around at all her friends with their cell phones at the ready.

The vows were just as hasty as the decorations and set-up, but Becky couldn't remember hearing anything sweeter. Just watching Dean, normally so gruff and distant, melt as he held Renee's gaze and told her how she changed his life made her tear up. "I'm surprised he let me be here for this," Seth whispered in her ear. He was standing behind her, arms wrapped loosely around her waist, and Becky was sure they looked like some tacky prom photo, but she didn't care. All the women were wearing simple sundresses, while the guys were all in t-shirts and jeans, apparently in some sort of denim solidarity with the groom. 

Becky leaned back against him. "I'm not." She thought back over the course of the day to all her friends in some way speaking Seth's praises. Why couldn't he see it? _Maybe they don't tell him often enough,_ Becky thought. _Maybe he takes their jabs too literally._ Before she left, she would have to ask the others to compliment Seth to his face, not just to her. 

In lieu of proper rings, Dean and Renee exchanged matching halves of a Together Forever necklace they had found at a gift shop not far from the mini-golf course. The officiant rambled through the rest of his piece and pronounced them husband and wife to a chorus of hoots, cheers, and applause that echoed throughout the courtyard. Becky said a silent prayer of thanks that there was no bouquet to be tossed; both Sasha and Naomi were married and since Bayley was engaged, that left only Becky and Charlotte to fight for the flowers, and they both had reasons for not wanting to be the focus of marriage speculation.

"Eating time," Dean declared, raising Renee's left hand to his mouth and kissing it. "Feelings are fucking exhausting."

"You can have a nap later," she told him with a laugh as Naomi's phone dinged. "Please say that's the food, or else I'll never get a dance out of this man."

"Yep. Everyone hang tight." Then Naomi looked to her husband, his brother, and Becky. "We're the only ones officially here," she added, "so we have to do all the plating."

Becky turned to give Seth a quick kiss. "Duty calls." She squeezed Renee's free hand as she walked past her and winked at Dean before following the twins into the kitchen. The officiant trailed after them, murmuring his goodbyes.

For ten minutes, the kitchen was pure chaos, with every counter covered in take-out boxes and Naomi, Becky, and the Usos trying to piece together each individual's meal like a jigsaw puzzle from the massive order. Jey had brought in a large trash can and it was already overflowing with boxes before they set the cake to the side. "Yeah, people are definitely going to realize it wasn't just us four here," Jimmy said, looking around at the mess.

"What are you talking about, man? We could eat all this in a day, easy." Jey took one last look at the spread before opening the courtyard doors. "Dinner is served," he called out in a mockingly posh voice.

Dean and Renee had the seats of honour, of course, and everyone else found their spots based on the meals on the plates. Becky was sitting between Charlotte and Seth and even she had to laugh when Charlotte whacked Seth's hand with her fork when she thought it strayed too far up Becky's leg. "Supper first, then dessert," Charlotte chided him.

Becky squeezed his thigh quickly when Charlotte turned her head. "We can probably sneak away after the third dance. Everyone will be tipsy by then." Roman had spent most of the afternoon tracking down drinks for the party and all the bottles were safely stowed in one of the unused suites.

"But I want a dance too," Seth remarked, leaning close to her ear. "I'm greedy."

There was no alcohol at the long dining table, but they made toasts anyway, eating and chatting until it was starting to get dark. Then the Usos set up the courtyard lighting and the music, clearing the area for Dean and Renee's first dance. "Good thing Renee won the mini-golf game. Who knows what song Dean would have picked?" Becky was joking, but her heart clenched watching Dean and Renee sway together. They had been through so much and fought so hard to be together—and it was still work. Both of them would say it was worth it, but it was still humbling. As much as Becky tried to not complain about the choices she had made, she still had her moments of resentment and regret.

She was so busy watching Dean and Renee in their own little world that she almost stumbled when Seth tried to pull her out onto the dance floor. "No?" A flash of hurt made Seth's eyes darken before he straightened up. "That's okay. I don't want to trip and send you into the pool." The dancing area and all the stereo equipment were a safe distance from the water, but now that they were all dancing, people were spreading out. Dean and Renee were still making small, giddy circles, barely moving, but Jimmy and Naomi were having a dance-off and Jey was trying to convince Bayley or Sasha to dance with him. Roman and Charlotte were chatting more than dancing, throwing in the occasional spin for effect.

Becky smiled up at him. "Of course I want to. I just zoned out for a minute. Let's go." She grabbed Seth's hand and followed him to a quieter spot. "I wonder who's going to end up in the pool first."

It ended up being Bayley. Jey was trying to teach her a dance move and she had kicked off her shoes to get better grip, but she was a little too enthusiastic with her kick and ended up falling backwards into the water. When Jey bent to help her out, Bayley yanked him in, and then the dance party made its way into the pool. Charlotte shook a finger emphatically and planted herself on a lounge chair. "I love you all, but this dress does not get along with chlorine."

"Boo!" Jey started heckling her from the pool, kicking up small splashes of water that landed harmlessly on the tiled perimeter. "Who comes to a party with a pool and worries about chlorine?"

"Who dives into a pool at a wedding?" Charlotte called back.

Roman patted his pockets for his phone and handed it to Charlotte. "I do!" Then he approached the pool at a run and lunged at his cousin, tackling him into the water.

While Roman and Bayley teamed up on Jey, Sasha took a seat by Charlotte, leaving only the two couples on the makeshift dance floor. "Now we don't have any more camouflage," Becky stage whispered, wrapping her arms around Seth's neck. They had a lot to talk about before they had to part ways again, but one more night of fun wouldn't hurt anything.

"How's your dress with chlorine?" Seth asked with a grin, fingers toying with the zipper at the back. "I should check the tag for you."

Becky laughed. "Dean would say that if throwing me in the pool is the only way you can get me wet, you have a problem."

"I'm pretty sure we've established that that's one thing I definitely _don't_ have a problem with," Seth replied, resting his cheek on her head. They weren't dancing quite as slow as Dean and Renee, but they definitely weren't covering a lot of ground either. "But I'm happy to prove myself again. And again. And again."

"Point taken," Becky giggled. "I suppose if we go in the water, then we have a better excuse for cutting out early, right?"

Seth shook his head. "Not really. They know exactly what we're going to do after we leave the party." 

The same could be said for the newlyweds and for Naomi and Jimmy, but that was different somehow. Becky knew her relationship with Seth wasn't only sexual, but she wasn't going to deny that sex was a huge part. She'd had good partners before, talented and attentive and caring, but Seth made her look forward to sex in a way she wasn't used to. It was just another thing that was going to make it incredibly difficult to say goodbye to him and the others in a matter of days. "Well, not _exactly_ ," Becky teased. "Unless you've been sharing way more with them than I have."

"You know what I mean." Seth buried his nose in her hair and took a deep breath. "How hard will this dress be to take off if it's soaking wet?" he mused, letting a hand drift up to her breast. His back was to the others, so they wouldn't be able to see. "I don't want to make more work for myself and waste time when we only have a few nights left here."

"You just don't want me in a pool if we can't have sex in the water." Becky might have been teasing him, but it had crossed her mind more than once too. The music switched to a more upbeat song and she glanced around. Sasha and Charlotte were still chatting, and Becky wondered when Charlotte would tell the others about Andrade, and which one she would tell first. Dean and Renee had quit dancing and were cuddled up on a lounge chair, watching their friends goof around in the pool. "Is it bad manners to sneak off to have sex before the bride and groom do?" she asked quietly.

Dean couldn't possibly have heard her over the music and the ruckus from the pool, but he nodded and pointed to her room. "Have at it, Irish. We'll save some beer for you."

"I forgot we had beer!" Renee popped to her feet and glanced around. "Where did Roman put it?"

Roman swam over to the edge of the pool and heaved himself out. "Room five," he said, pointing to the stereo. "Keys are on top of the speaker in the corner. I'm gonna go change into trunks if I'm spending most of the night in the pool. Be right back. . . ."

The group shifted again, some getting out of the water to have a drink while others went to change, so it was easy for Becky and Seth to slip into her suite, kissing hungrily until they bumped into her bed. "Are you going to wear your bikini when we go back out?" Seth murmured against her neck.

"Maybe. Is that a request?" Seth's jeans were tight enough that Becky knew he couldn't possibly have his trunks on beneath them, so he would have to cross the courtyard to his suite to get them later.

"Only if I get to help put it on," Seth replied, slowly pulling down the zipper on her dress. "Which means we have to get this off first. . . ."

"And undressing is tough," Becky added, pushing up the hem of his shirt, "so we'll need a break."

"On the bed," Seth continued. "So we can rest." Once the zipper was fully open, he peeled the dress down Becky's body and tossed it to the floor.

"And then we'll have to do that all over again in your suite so you can get your trunks." Becky grinned. A wedding, partying with friends, sex, swimming: it was shaping up to be a good night.


	4. Chapter 4

Becky hadn't expected too much out of the week at the start. Sleeping in late, more cheat-day meals than she ought to have, maybe some surfing lessons. Hanging out with Naomi and the Usos and maybe meeting more of their family. Having her friends show up had been surreal, and there had been times when she figured it had to be a dream and she was going to wake up any minute. Dean and Renee's impromptu wedding had been a bonus on top of an already amazing week, and just as she was finally accepting that it was all gloriously real—that she could hug Charlotte whenever she wanted, that Roman and Sasha and Bayley and Dean and Renee were there to chat with in person, that Seth was actually in her bed or he was in hers—it was time to leave.

"You could come back with us," Seth murmured, tightening his arms around her. They'd spent their last night together in her suite, so he still had to cross the courtyard and pack up all his things, but they had been lingering in bed for almost half an hour after the alarm went off on his phone.

"And end up getting sued by WWE _plus_ not be able to compete for a year." Most of the time, Becky was able to forget about the restrictive terms of the contract she'd signed, but every hour she'd spent with her friends that week reminded her of the days, weeks, and months—full years, yet—she'd have to spend apart from them until her contract expired. "Not many places would want to take me on after all that."

Seth's lips were warm against her forehead. "I could go back with you, then." She felt his fingers twitch against her back as he said it, and her breath caught in her throat. He had to know that Hunter still wanted to destroy him, if only professionally, and that there was no way WWE would welcome him back any time soon. "I . . . I could find a wrestling school and teach, do some local indie work. . . ."

Becky shook her head, wriggling closer to his side. She was going to miss resting her head on his chest and being lulled to sleep by the steady bass of his heart. "No, you couldn't. Not as Seth Rollins, anyway. It probably violates some small print of my contract." Shutting her eyes, she swore at herself as she stroked his chest. She had been so focussed on getting her friends a deal that gave them some freedom and mobility that she hadn't considered all the potential downsides; in some ways, they were just as locked in to their current positions as she was to hers. "I never thought of that when I was negotiating. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." Seth pulled her up far enough that he could kiss her. "You're the only reason we're doing as well as we are." When his phone gave a warning beep, he groaned. "I guess I should get going before Roman starts pounding on the door." He eased out from under Becky and took a moment to gaze down at her before pulling the sheet up to her shoulders. "Okay. See you at breakfast." When he leaned down to give her a parting kiss, he stayed out of her reach so he couldn't be pulled back down onto the bed.

"I'm getting up," Becky groused, slowly starting to sit as Seth pulled on his jeans. "And not just to watch the show."

After Seth tugged his shirt over his head, he paused. "You know if you want to . . . see someone in WWE, I understand. I'm not looking to date anyone," he clarified quickly, scouring the floor for his shoes, "but if there's someone there that you like, who could make things be less lonely for you, I would understand—"

"There's not." Even though she had occasionally been tempted to approach Cesaro, she knew it wouldn't help, not in the long run. She would enjoy the sex, sure, but the guilt that followed it wouldn't be worth it. "But the same goes for you. I don't expect you to wait or—"

Seth knelt on the edge of the bed and kissed her again, letting his hand linger on her neck. "I told you I want to see what we could be, and I meant it. I still do. If that changes . . . then we'll talk. Fair?"

Becky nodded. "Now get going so I don't get distracted," she laughed, waiting until he shut her courtyard door behind him before she got out of bed and headed to the shower. It didn't take her long to get cleaned up and dressed; she and Naomi and the Usos weren't flying out until the next morning, so she didn't have to worry about packing everything up yet. Still, she was surprised when she beat Seth to the dining room. She lingered in the doorway for a moment, taking in the scene of so many people she held dear, eating and talking and laughing. "I don't want to say goodbye yet."

She thought she had said it softly enough, especially with the clatter of utensils and plates, but Roman smiled at her and stood, coming over to hug her. "I know. It sucks. But at least we have a place where we can meet. Even when the family's doing renos, there will always be one floor that's operational." He lifted her off her feet and squeezed hard enough that she yelped. "You're not getting rid of us that easily, Irish. We're not waiting two years to see you again."

"Come eat!" Charlotte held out the chair beside her. "Then I have to sneak in one more walk with my bestie before we leave. _And_ remind Seth that he took up some of my Becky time."

" _Our_ Becky time," Sasha corrected, sipping orange juice out of a champagne glass. No one had wanted to spend their last night together doing dishes and cleaning up, so it had been a laid-back party, finishing off what remained of the alcohol bought for the impromptu wedding. It meant that there were glasses and dishes everywhere, and anyone wanting clean plates or glassware had to either wash something or get creative. It looked like Renee was having cereal out of a pairfait glass, and Roman's eggs were in a glass pie plate.

"You guys all know our flight leaves just after lunch, right? With security checks and all that, we need to be at the airport before noon." Roman was smiling as he said it, but Becky could see him already going into weary dad mode.

Charlotte was almost done eating and she looked over at Becky's plate. Rather than spend time cooking their own breakfasts—and cleaning even more dishes—they had bought some simple breakfast foods the day before: eggs, cereal, muffins, bread, and a few fixings, since they didn't want to waste anything. "Can you eat and walk, babe?" she asked. Becky had grabbed a muffin and poured herself a coffee from a travel urn; at least there were enough mugs left. "I'd really like to get one last chat in."

Becky nodded and handed Charlotte her muffin as she stood. "Sure." She paused with her coffee halfway to her mouth. Should she tell Seth she was going out for a quick stroll? One of the others would surely fill him in, and with so little time left, it wasn't like she and Charlotte could go very far. "We won't be long," she said the group at large, following Charlotte out into the outer yard. While they were still on the family's grounds, Charlotte pulled her hair into a messy bun and slipped her sunglasses on. Without her ring gear on or tattoos visible to identify her, Charlotte looked like just another athletic woman out for a walk. "I bet Andrade's going to be happy when you're back," Becky said when they were at the gate. In her outings during the week, she had made a point of memorizing a few landmarks so she wouldn't get lost on her way back to the villa. She thought Charlotte was going to head to the little beach path that she favoured, but instead she headed around the block. A passing woman gave Becky a strange look—probably for drinking from a ceramic mug while walking—but she didn't seem to recognize the wrestlers. 

Charlotte beamed and blushed all at once. "I hope so. I miss him too. Not that I didn't love getting to spend so much time with you," she added quickly, looping an arm around Becky's shoulders. She was still carrying the muffin in her other hand and she held it out to her friend. "But those first days and weeks of a relationship, when everything's new—it's the best, isn't it? The stuff that comes later is good too, if it's a solid relationship, but somehow the early days remind me that I can be whoever I want, you know? I don't have to be Ric Flair's daughter all the time." She fell silent and let her head rest against Becky's as they walked, nearly throwing Becky off balance. "Speaking of dads, how's yours?"

"Good. Really good. I got to see him at Christmas and it was such a fucking relief." Becky downed the rest of her coffee and handed the mug to Charlotte so she could eat her muffin more easily. "It's so hard, being so far away—from him, from Ma, from my whole family, and then from you guys too." She chewed on her muffin for a moment, relishing the familiar weight of Charlotte's arm around her shoulders. "This week has been amazing, but it's just going to make next week feel that much heavier, you know?"

"I know." Charlotte kept the chatter up as they circled the block, and before they knew it they were at the gate again. "You can call me whenever. You know that, right? Text, video, whatever. I don't care."

"I know." Then Becky smiled. "Tell Andrade I want to do a video chat with you and him. I want to see how you smile when you're with him."

"Brat." Charlotte was grinning as she opened the gate, swinging the empty mug back and forth; Becky had tossed the muffin wrapper in a trash can along the way. "But sure. I'll text you our schedule as soon as I know it, okay?"

Becky didn't even get a chance to reply before Sasha ran out to meet them. "My turn now," she said, grabbing Becky's hand.

" _Our_ turn!" Bayley's correction came from a window to their left, and Becky assumed they were packing up together. Becky managed a quick wave to Charlotte before Sasha steered her to Bayley's external entrance and knocked. "Yay!" Bayley drew her into a hug after opening the door. "I know packing isn't fun, but I thought we could talk while we're doing it."

"And help so it goes faster," Sasha added, "because Bayley hasn't put a damn thing back in her bag this whole trip." She pointed to the courtyard door, where her suitcase was already waiting. "Unlike me."

"Because there was so much to do!" Bayley handed Becky a stack of shirts. "Fold and chat?" The mess and the rhythm reminded Becky of shared locker rooms, the women helping each other out with clothing fasteners or quick make-up fixes before they headed out to the ring. "This was such a cool idea. I'm so glad the Usos called Roman. I mean, it's not like Vince can stop us from seeing you, but this way it was all like _Oh, I had no clue who was going to be there!_ "

"That will only work so many times, though." Becky didn't let her spirits flag. She'd had an amazing week, one she hadn't even thought possible, so she couldn't complain. There were times when she didn't see her family for months, so not seeing her friends for weeks shouldn't have been that hard, but it was. "I'm just hoping if I keep busting my ass, Hunter will let some of this stuff slide. I'm doing the work and helping other women get over, so they can't say I'm not holding up my side of things."

"You've been doing so good with Mandy!" Sasha gushed, hugging Becky from the side before starting to pack Bayley's toiletry bag. "When I first saw that you had to fight her, I thought _What is this Eva Maria nonsense they're pulling on our girl?_ but it's been great."

Bayley looked up from her stack of folded underwear to nod in agreement. "And you and Sonya are going to have a total match-of-the-year contender. It's going to be ridiculous." But then Bayley's face fell a bit. "They're all treating you okay, right? The other girls?" She pointed towards the courtyard. "I didn't want to ask around Naomi, because I didn't want it to be awkward."

"Yeah, it's been really good. I keep to myself a lot, aside from a few of the women—some of the guys too, like Cesaro—but no one's given me grief." With a chuckle, she added, "Hunter even gives me compliments from time to time, although they're always in that gruff dad voice, so I'm never sure how to take it until he smiles, you know?"

"That was a rough one out there, Lynch," Sasha said, mocking Hunter's deep voice. "Bad fall on the apron. But you pulled it out in the end. Good work."

"Yeah, more or less." Becky grabbed a pile of bikini parts and started sorting and folding them so she could look away. _This_ was the kind of thing she missed the most, the stuff that was so casual and so normal she would never even think to add it to her journal or mention it to her mother. The tiny, tender everyday moments that stitched the days together in a way that made the hard times bearable and the good ones shine even more.

With three of them folding Bayley's clothes, it didn't take long to finish, so Becky was able to sneak one-on-one time with Roman and Dean and Renee as well, making sure all her friends knew how much she had missed them and that she appreciated spending the week with them. When it came time for their hired van to pick them up, though, Becky said goodbye to Seth first, though, and she kept it quick; they had said most of the things they wanted to say the night before. "Remember what we agreed," she said softly, not wanting to elaborate in front of the others. The Usos were helping load the van, but there were still a lot of people standing around.

"You remember what I said," Seth countered, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs as he cradled her face. "Talk to you soon."

The farewells between the Four Horsewomen were predictably teary, and Roman lightened some of the sorrow by bringing out a jumbo box of tissues. "Those bulk stores are good for something," he said, passing it around so everyone could dry their faces. Then he took the opportunity to scoop Becky up in a hug. "You take care of yourself, okay? Don't worry about us. We're all good." Nodding his head towards his cousins, he added, "And if Orton starts getting to you, just let my boys know."

"Thanks." Becky didn't let herself agree out loud. If Orton became an issue, she would take it directly to Hunter rather than involve friends in her mess. "Don't forget to shut off dad mode once in a while, okay? They're your friends too."

"I know." Roman planted a lingering kiss on the top of her head before setting her back down on her feet. "I know."

Saying goodbye to Dean and Renee was a bit easier, if only because it was light-hearted. Dean joked about Becky being their good-luck charm and that they would have to wait for wedding rings until her next visit, and Renee promised that she would be the godmother of their next dog. Getting everyone in the van took some effort, but eventually they drove away, leaving Becky, Naomi, and the Usos waving. Then Becky turned to the other three. "Please be honest. Seth didn't leave anything behind for me, did he?" The gesture would be sweet, but she didn't think she could bear it at the moment.

Naomi put a hand to her chest. "Not that I know of, and that's the truth. If he left something in his room, I don't know about it, but he didn't ask me to do anything." She turned on her husband and his twin. "What about you?"

Jey shook his head. "Nothing here, man. I figured you guys had enough time together that you could say what you needed to say."

"Same," Jimmy agreed. Now that it was just the four of them, the way it was originally planned, the courtyard and villa seemed looming and empty. "At least we were all on the first and second floor; cleaning up the rooms shouldn't be too bad. I still vote for lunch before we tackle all the messes, though. Want to eat out or just get something delivered?"

"Out," Naomi said dramatically, sweeping an arm to take in all the clutter awaiting them. "I don't want to look at this while I'm eating."

"Same." It would be nice to go out with a group and not worry about being spotted together. Becky was still quiet through much of the lunch, though, but the twins carried the conversation enough that it wasn't noticeable, or so she thought. As soon as they returned to the villa, she noticed Naomi stealing glances at her. "What? I'm not the one who tried surfing across the pool on a lounge chair," she said, pointing to the bobbing chair in the middle of the water. Part of her thought it would be better to start in the kitchen, but the courtyard was their relaxing place, not to mention the most visible.

"Of course that was Dean." Naomi's smile was restrained, and her eyes seemed softer than usual. "You okay, girl? I know that was a lot to take in all at once, and I thought about trying to warn you. Roman really wanted it to be a surprise, but I worried that it might be too much." She ducked her head as she grimaced. "You aren't mad, are you?"

"What? No." Becky set down the chair she was moving out of the way to give Naomi a huge hug. "This week was incredible. It would have been fun with just you and the guys too," she added, "but it was so great to see them all again. It was a total boost. I mean it. It was incredibly sweet, and I don't know how you all pulled it off and kept it a secret, but it was the best surprise ever. I don't know how I'll ever make it up to you."

Relieved, Naomi was beaming again. "Girl, there's no need. We got to catch up too, which was long overdue, and it was totally worth it to see you so happy." She shoved some chairs out of the way as well so they had more room to work and move around. "I mean, it's not like you're moping around backstage or anything," she added, tossing trash towards the garbage can as she went. "But as soon the boys got talking, I thought you'd appreciate the pick-me-up."

"I definitely did." Becky shoved a stack of chairs to the side. They would have to be wiped off later, but they had decided to work from the pool out. Since she had put on a bikini under her top and shorts, she set her clothes aside and dived in to retrieve the wayward lounge chair, pushing it towards the edge of the pool. "Are you saying I'll need to sober up before RAW so people don't wonder why I'm so happy?"

Naomi chuckled as she reached for the approaching lounge chair. "Not that I want to dim that glow, but yeah, maybe a little bit. You've definitely got a _I had good sex and lots of it_ air that might make people a little suspicious. Or envious. Probably both."

"I'll work on that once we've got the courtyard done." There were a few other random things in the pool—no personal items, thankfully—and Becky fished them out one by one, setting them on the side for Naomi to dry off. By the time she was done diving to retrieve all the sunken things, Becky was ready for a break, so she sat against a wall and worked on wiping a chair clean. "What do you think of Seth?" she asked, wondering what Naomi would say. She was a friend and a dear one, but she didn't know the brief but thorny history between Becky and Seth; Becky had glossed over most of the deception and only told her about the frenzied start to their relationship.

"Wrestling wise? He's great. One of the best of his era." Naomi sat down beside her friend and grabbed a cloth of her own to start wiping down another chair. "As a person? I never spent much time with him, not in WWE and not here. _Someone_ was monopolizing him a little bit, you know?" She winked and nudged Becky repeatedly. "I know he barely took his eyes off you, and he looked lost if he wasn't beside you or touching you. He makes you happy, which makes me happy." Then her grin turned into a wicked cackle. "And I'm not saying I accidentally saw some things, but if _had_ accidentally seen some things . . . well, then I'd say you picked a good one."

Becky hummed innocently, looking anywhere but at Naomi's face. She and Seth hadn't exactly been subtle that first day in the courtyard, but after that, she thought they at least made sure the curtains of whatever room they were in were closed. _Maybe when we were on the third floor?_ she wondered. The Usos had opened up rooms only on the lowest two floors to keep cleaning easier while still giving everyone some space, but Seth and Becky had snuck up to the third floor a few times for some privacy—or so they thought. She didn't want to ask, though—mostly because she didn't want to know precisely what Naomi had seen. "I'll take that as a vote of approval."

"What does your crew say? They know him better." Once they were done cleaning the chairs, Naomi shoved them to the side so they could go back into storage. They had at least half a day left at the villa, depending on how long it took them to clean, but they didn't need so many chairs out for just four people. "Roman and Dean must trust him if they let him join The Shield. Not to mention Roman's like your big brother. If Seth stepped out of line, I imagine Roman would be right on that."

"He's threatened to, yeah." Becky paused, mulling over her words as she stood and started cleaning a lounge chair. Now that they had a rhythm going, she and Naomi had almost finished the worst of the courtyard; they would still need to sweep, but there was no point in doing that if they were just going to have a small farewell party for the four of them that night. "He's done some things in the past that make them wary," she hedged, "but I think he's proving himself to them."

"And you came back to help him too," Naomi pointed out, "and you don't just do that for a fling."

Guilt twisted in Becky's gut. She didn't want Naomi or any of her competitors to think that they were second best. "I never left because of the girls in the locker room," she said solemnly, reaching for Naomi's hand. "Or most of the guys. It was because of the McMahons. If Vince were out of the equation, the others might even consider coming back."

Naomi nodded slowly. "I get it. I do. My contract's up in a year. The twins still have a year and a half. We're already talking about our options. WWE is where the best money is, but we're not getting younger, you know? Sometimes it has to be about respect and freedom too." Then she kissed Becky's cheek. "But I'd miss you if I left."

The thought of not having Naomi with her made Becky freeze up for a moment. The other women were friendly enough, and Becky had started developing close friendships with Sonya and Asuka and a few others, but it wouldn't be the same without Naomi's effervescent kindness. When she started to speak, however, something caught Becky's eye up above. One of the windows on the third floor was opening and for a moment, she worried that she and Seth had left something up there during one of their rendezvous. It was cloth that Jimmy dangled out the open window, but Becky recognized the pineapple print as the dress Renee had worn at the ceremony. 

"That's Renee's!" Naomi called out. "Bring it down with you and we can send it to her." Shaking her head, she lowered her voice so only Becky could hear when she added, "Her and the lunatic. Who would have figured, huh?"

_At least Seth and I weren't the only ones. . . ._ Becky smiled as Jimmy folded the dress over his arm and ducked back into the room, shutting the window behind him. To some, Dean and Renee must have seemed like complete opposites, but they were clearly crazy about each other; if they could make things work, maybe she and Seth could too.


	5. Chapter 5

Seth's main goal for the week in Florida had been to spend as much time with Becky as possible, at least without stopping her friends from hanging out with her too. He hadn't expected to have lengthy conversations with the Usos or Naomi, or even the others, but it had been an added bonus. Since he was essentially travelling non-stop with The Shield and the Four Horsewomen, he didn't think they could have much left that they were willing to share with him, but the cozy vacation atmosphere made them all open up a bit. Even just seeing Roman interact with his cousins made a lot of his behaviour make more sense.

Now that they were back to the grind, Seth expected everything to go back to normal. The others had moved past blaming him for Becky's departure, but he still sometimes felt like the living embodiment of 'last hired, first fired'; if things soured for the group, he had no doubts he would be the first one cut loose, even though he was doing so well in the Shield that even some indie regulars couldn't remember that he hadn't always been a member. The others tried to include him in almost everything, but there was always a little nagging voice in his head, warning him to get ready for a lecture. When Roman and Dean called him out to the back porch of their current rental, Seth squared his shoulders and almost paused at the fridge, thinking a beer would help the berating go down easier, but he forced himself to go outside. Becky was going to try calling later that night, so if he was going to be in a bad mood, he wanted to get it out of his system before he talked to her. "What's up?" he asked, leaning against the door frame.

There were four weathered wicker chairs around a small table, and Dean had his feet up on one of them, elevating the knee he had tweaked in last night's match. Now that he was officially married, he seemed strangely mellow. He and Renee still hadn't settled on rings, so he wore his half of the novelty Together Forever necklace under his shirt except when he was wrestling. "Your spot's there," Dean said, pointing at the empty fourth chair. Roman was facing the yard, leaning back with his feet propped up on the patio railing. "Beer?" Dean reached down and hauled up a bucket filled with ice, beer bottles jutting out like a bouquet.

"Sure." Seth opened his bottle before sitting down. "So . . . what's up?" It wasn't quite as bad as being asked to stay after class or being called to the principal's office, but it didn't escape him that the women were all out of the house: Charlotte and Sasha were shoe shopping, and Renee and Bayley had gone to a local animal shelter hoping to do some volunteer dog walking.

Dean did a dramatic head turn and looked at Roman, who rolled his eyes. "You've been working your ass off, and without complaint too. I'll be the first to admit I had my doubts about you—a lot of doubts," Roman emphasized, "but I'm always happy to be proven wrong, and . . . you haven't done that one-hundred percent yet, but you're definitely close. I never thought The Shield would work as a trio, but in a lot of ways, it's better than ever. So thank you."

"It's also nice that it means the women don't horribly outnumber us as badly," Dean added, tapping his bottle against Seth's in a toast. "Otherwise we'd be voted off the island or out of the house or however those reality shows work." It was Roman's turn to shoot a pointed look, one that made Dean sigh. "All right, all right. You're good. You're good in the ring and you're pretty cool on the road too. Sometimes it's one or the other, which sucks."

"Thanks. I think." The compliments still had a hint of hesitation and thinly veiled slights, but Seth would take them."I know this isn't the ideal arrangement, but I'm trying to show you all that I'm taking it seriously."

Roman gave a slow nod. "You are. We know you are." He took a deep breath before continuing on, as if he needed fuel for what he was about to say. "And we know you make Becky happy too. I don't think I saw her without a smile on her face once while we were at the villa. She deserves that—not just because she went back, but because she's been through a lot in general, and it's time life started giving her something in return, you know?"

Dean took a long swig from his bottle. "And it's not just good sex," he added, earning himself another chastising look from Roman. "I mean, we want that for her too, but even the best sex doesn't make you smile all damn day."

It was probably the closest Seth was going to get to having their blessing, and even if it wasn't necessarily, he didn't want to take it for granted. Becky's friends didn't have to like him, but if they did—and more importantly, if they thought he was good for her—that was far better than animosity or even indifference. "I appreciate that," he said slowly. "I told her if she wants to date someone in WWE or whatever, I would understand, but I'm good with waiting. So you don't have to give me the _If you hurt her_ speech, I promise."

"He still will," Dean said, grinning at Roman. "It's in his DNA. But he won't do it on a regular basis. Just special occasions, like full moons and every second Tuesday."

"I don't even want to know what the calendar on your phone looks like," Roman replied, shaking his head as he lowered his feet to the patio and stretched out his legs. "I've been hard on you. I won't say it was undeserved, and I won't say I wouldn't do it again, but unless you're playing a _really_ long game, I believe you. You wouldn't have put up with all our shit for nothing."

"You got that right." Seth rolled his beer bottle between his palms as he thought. "There were times when I thought it wasn't worth it, that I was never going to break through with you guys. But I was doing it for me just as much as Becky. I did well before WWE. I did well in WWE. I needed to prove to myself that I could do well in the indies again. Some people can't handle the switch. I needed to know that I could. Now I know." That wasn't entirely true. He had the benefit of lingering WWE clout and strength in numbers with The Shield, so it wasn't a true test, but if he could handle the road schedule and the uncertainty, it was definitely a start.

"Knock knock, boys' club." Charlotte stepped out onto the patio. "Sasha bailed on me once Bayley called and said there was a corgi at the animal shelter." Sighing, she shoved Dean's feet to the side and perched on the edge of the fourth chair. "So did I miss anything?"

"You know, manly stuff. Burping and farting and . . . um . . . fantasy football." Dean gave up and shrugged. "Beer, mostly."

Charlotte dipped her hand into the bucket, examined a bottle, and let it drop back into the ice. "Weak," she declared as she stood. "Can I borrow Seth for a few minutes?"

Dean made his eyes comically wide. "You should be asking Becky, not us. Unless you're starting some sort of sordid love triangle."

"He wishes." Charlotte rolled her eyes. "So are boys done with your manly chat or no?"

Both Seth and Dean looked to Roman, which made Charlotte laugh. "Yeah, we're good." Then Seth glanced down at Charlotte's feet. "Struck out shopping?"

"Yeah. I'll have to wait until we go through New York again. Speaking of, where's our next gig going to be?" Charlotte asked. Some promotions didn't want all of them at the same time, so they weren't always on the same card, but they tried to book together as much as possible.

Roman leaned back in his chair. "There's a good string of events in the Pacific northwest. Between Washington and British Columbia, we'd be able to probably get two weeks solid. Why? You don't normally care much."

Seth had been wondering that too. Aside from being able to visit her father, Charlotte was usually happy to go with the flow. It was Sasha who was more particular because she wanted to spend time with her husband. "Just curious to see if we have any overlap with Becks," Charlotte said defensively. "Besides, we all have a vested interest in this, Roman, We should all be helping with the networking and planning so we all know what to do in case someone gets sick or. . . ." _Leaves_ went unspoken, falling heavily in the strained silence.

"Let's go," Seth said, rising from his seat . It was clear Charlotte was either hiding something or fishing for it, so he decided to spare her. "I'm supposed to talk with Becky tonight," he added, "so don't take too long."

"Quickie sex," Dean said with a sage nod. "The beginning to any proper love triangle."

"Coming from a guy who had a burner phone?" Seth shot back. "How do you know so much about love triangles anyway?"

Dean shrugged. "I watch Renee's shows when she leaves her tablet unlocked."

Charlotte pulled at Seth's arm. "Come on. I want to go for a walk before it gets too dark." They went back through the house and out the front door, but it wasn't until they got to the end of the block that Charlotte spoke again. "Thank you."

"For a walk and a chat? Any time." Seth liked the exercise and the fresh air, and it was a good way to wind down at night. More than that, though, he knew Becky and Charlotte used to go on walks and it was another way to feel closer to Becky.

"Not that. Well, not just that." Charlotte gave a low chuckle. "But yeah, I miss the walks with Becks. I miss so much about her. I made so many mistakes with her. I took her for granted and I swear when we're all back together—whenever that is, however we get there—I'm never being that stupid again." Then she sniffled and cleared her throat. "Anyway, I wanted to thank you for making her so happy."

"Becky?" Seth was being taken by surprise left and right that night. "I mean, it's mutual. . . ."

"I know, and I'm glad." Charlotte gave him a rare genuine smile. He had seen her shining, perfect one countless times at events and signings, out in public when they were recognized by fans, but her real smile was a bit crooked, a bit hesitant. "She's had some bad luck in relationships—who hasn't?—so when this all started, I thought _Oh great, another asshole to recover from_. But you've been there, even when it hasn't been easy. The distance and the restrictions would scare a lot of people off, but you're doing your best. And . . . I know what it's like to be happy with someone too, and I saw that in her last week. It was so, so good to see her so unabashedly happy." As they turned the corner, Seth saw tears starting to sparkle in her eyes. "I hate that we're so far apart and that it's going to be for so long, but knowing that she's safe and happy makes it easier."

"I wish I was more confident about the _safe_ part," Seth countered, "but I'm glad I contribute to the _happy_. She didn't say she was having any trouble with Hunter or Orton or anyone, but I think she was trying to concentrate on just enjoying herself. She didn't want to cast a shadow over the week or ruin anyone's fun."

Charlotte slowed her pace a bit. "Wait. What? Do you think there's something wrong? Why didn't she say something—"

Seth held up his hands in surrender. "No, no. I'm just saying _if_ there was trouble, she was probably keeping it to herself because she didn't want to ruin the reunion. I don't think there is. I hope not, anyway. Naomi and the Usos seemed to think everything was okay."

"Would she tell them, though? Don't get me wrong. I love Naomi, and the Usos are great guys, but they're not us. Becky might feel like she can't confide everything in them." Charlotte was a deceptively fast walker; they had almost made it around the block, and Seth hadn't even realized it.

"Naomi's pretty perceptive. I think she would know." Seth wasn't sure, but he definitely hoped so. He knew what it felt like to have a locker room against you, and he wouldn't wish that on anyone. A roster was supposed to be like a second family, especially in a company like WWE where you spent so much time on the road, away from family. If you didn't have that solid support backstage, the loneliness could get unbearable.

"What made you pick her?" Charlotte's voice had softened and a motorcycle zoomed past, so Seth barely heard the question. "I mean, I'm not saying you should have targeted me or Sasha or Bayley, but what drew you to her?"

The old answers that Seth used to tell himself didn't seem to fit anymore; even if they did, they were too crude to share with Charlotte. "Her energy, I guess," he said at last, tucking his hands in his pockets. "It's so easy to get burned out in this business, but I think having that injury that took her out made her really appreciate every day. All the shows I went to . . . she was never phoning it in. Whether she was going against one of you three or a local who could barely lace her own boots, she treated each match like an opportunity but . . . also an honour, if that makes sense."

Charlotte beamed with pride. "It does. As long as I've known her, Becks has always loved this business, whether she was in a pre-show match or going for a title. She gave each match her all. And she lives like that too." She bumped her shoulder against Seth's. "I didn't want to like you. I wanted you to be this arrogant jerk who tried to seduce my best friend and for a while, you were. But I see that look in your eyes when you're with her and your expression when you talk about her and . . . I don't know. Maybe you had a horrible start. But some of the best stories have shaky beginnings." She gave him a wistful smile as she added, "At least the middle is happier."

"Hope that carries through until the ending." They looped around the block once more as Charlotte shared some of her favourite stories about Becky, and Seth soaked up every single one. It wasn't as good as Becky being there, but the more he learned about her, the closer she seemed to be.


	6. Chapter 6

Becky's first week back was almost like a second vacation. It wasn't as relaxing as going to the beach and hanging out with friends, but since Randy Orton had taken some time off to spend with his daughter, she didn't feel like she was constantly looking over her shoulder. Working on the upcoming feud with Sonya was invigorating too, and she found herself showing up early to events just so they could run new ideas by each other. In the end, it would be up to Creative—which always boiled down to Vince—but at least they were asking the women for their input. It wasn't that long ago that they cared more about the women's bra sizes than their opinions.

"Hey, Becks!" Sonya hopped down off an equipment truck when she spotted her. "So glad you're back!" She gave Becky a warm hug before handing her a coffee. "Last week Creative wanted me to bring in the fact that you dated that MMA guy, but I told them I wouldn't. Not my style."

"Thanks." Becky took a long sip from the coffee and motioned for Sonya to walk with her as she took her bag to the locker room. "Yeesh. Gone for one week and they're already regressing. Give it a month and they'd have us back in bra-and-panty matches."

Sonya made a disgusted face. "Yeah, I can't say I miss those days at all. I don't think I would have tried out here if I thought that's how things were going." Then she brightened up, giving Becky a friendly punch to the shoulder. "Look at you, though! You look so relaxed. And a proper tan too! Did you have a good time? I saw Naomi and the Usos earlier and they looked so chill. I'm envious."

"Yeah, I did. It was really relaxing. I don't know if it was the smartest move, though," Becky confided, "since I haven't been back all that long. Did any of the girls seem pissed off?" Becky hadn't wanted or expected special treatment when she came back to the WWE, but she knew some of the women on the roster hadn't seen their parents in almost a year. Just getting a random week off might not sit well with the others.

"I don't think so." Sonya shook her head. "It's not like you were gone for a month or anything, and we all know you've been through a lot lately. As long as you aren't doing it every month, I don't think anyone's going to raise a fuss."

Becky laughed, even as it stung. She would be lucky if a getaway like that could be arranged once a _season_. "Not likely to happen. Not if I ever get my hands on the gold again. Then just try getting rid of me." In the women's locker room, Becky greeted the girls who were getting ready and left her bag in her regular spot. "Be back in a few, ladies. Good luck out there."

Sonya paused outside the locker room door and then turned towards Catering. "I've been snacking like mad today. I don't know why. I'll have to double up my workouts pretty soon."

"Could be the weather," Becky remarked as she loaded up a small plate for herself while still nursing her coffee. With her birthday coming at the end of January, she wished the week in Florida could have been planned for then. _What a present that would have been!_ she thought, chastising herself almost immediately. The week itself had been a gift, one that was wholly unexpected, and she was grateful that it happened at all. She just wished she didn't have a winter birthday, especially if she was going to have to spend it away from her closest friends.

"Yeah. You stayed at the Usos' family place, right? I was talking to Jey and he said the whole family bought some old hotel to fix up for family gatherings or something." Sonya grabbed two bottles of water and then headed towards a table, greeting people on the way.

Becky hadn't plannedg to share details—she didn't trust herself not to say too much, especially to someone like Sonya, who she liked talking with—but since Jey had apparently mentioned some of the basics, she figured it was safe. "Yeah. It was really neat. If Ireland were bigger, I'd say my family should do the same. And it's not even really in bad shape. It needs some general updating with bathrooms and all that, but the building is solid and it has this great courtyard with a pool. I swam every day and you can holler across at someone on the other side. Great fun. It was like summer camp for adults."

"Or what it would be like if WWE sprang for housing and we had dorms." Sonya laughed and then shuddered. "Except with my luck, I'd get the worst roommate." They chatted for a while as they ate, switching between their upcoming storyline and swapping stories about their favourite vacations.

"Welcome back!" Becky had heard it often enough that day, but this particular voice made her look up and smile. Cesaro was standing beside her with a take-out coffee cup in hand—he was enough of a coffee snob that Catering's basic brew didn't cut it for him. "Did you have a good vacation?"

"Really good, yeah. It's going to make it feel like an extra long stretch to the next one, though. I should have spaced them out better." Cesaro was smiling, but there was something about his body language that made Becky wary. "What's up?" He was her friend, sure, but he was also a liaison—or a buffer, depending on the day—between her and Hunter, and she hated the strain that put on him. He was too talented a wrestler to be a glorified babysitter.

"I was told that you're supposed to go to Hunter's office." Cesaro held up his hands as a show of innocence, nearly spilling his coffee. "I don't know why. One of the McMahons' interns found me and told me to pass the message along."

Becky fortified herself with another gulp of coffee, though now that she could smell Cesaro's, hers seemed bland in comparison. "Okay." Tapping the table, she stood and smiled apologetically down at Sonya. "I hopefully won't be too long. Catch up with you later?"

Sonya nodded. "Of course. Hope it's nothing serious."

Cesaro reflexively fell into step with Becky. "Er . . . the intern also said I couldn't go in with you." He was normally one of the most eloquent people Becky knew, so his uncertainty spoke volumes.

"That's okay. If I'm in trouble, it's my fault, not yours." Then she grinned. "Did you enjoy your week off from babysitting duty?"

"Come off it, Lynch." Cesaro gave her a friendly shoulder bump. "You know I don't think of you like an assignment. I missed you. All the baristas asked why I was only ordering one drink."

Becky had to smile at that. Cesaro was on a crusade to educate her coffee palate, so whenever they went to a new city, he always looked for a proper cafe and had her try a different drink. "Well, as long as I'm not in shit, we can go out for coffee after the show, unless you're busy."

Cesaro shook his head, stopping a few doors down from Hunter's office. "Sounds great. I'll catch up with you later."

Between Sonya and Cesaro and a few others, Becky's _later_ was sizing up to be quite busy, but she wasn't too worried. She only had a promo that night, not an actual match. Getting back to her regular routine would be good too. _Get my head out of the clouds,_ she thought as she knocked on the office door. When no one answered, she called out, "It's Becky!"

She knocked a second time and started to twist the doorknob when she finally heard a faint reply. "Come in."

_Maybe he's on a call,_ Becky thought as she opened the door and pushed it inward. _Or maybe he's sick._

Or it just wasn't Hunter at all. Randy Orton was leaning against the wall, wearing his trademark smirk, and behind the desk was Stephanie, not her husband. "Hello, Becky. You look well rested. Did you have a nice vacation?" Stephanie's eyes glinted like the unforgiving steel in a cage match as she turned her laptop to face Becky. "It sure looks like you did."

The pictures were blurry—either taken from a distance or in a hurry, possibly both—so Becky had to go further into the room than she wanted. The second she had seen who was inside, she wanted to turn around and leave. Now that she was looking at the photos, she wished she had followed her gut. There were no photos of her and Seth, thankfully, but someone had gotten plenty of her, Bayley, and Sasha while they were dress shopping for Dean and Renee's wedding, as well as one from the mini-golf course and one of her on a morning stroll with Charlotte. "The Samoan dynasty is starting to look a little white," Randy remarked, eyes narrowing.

Stephanie barely shot him a glance. "My father doesn't know about these. Neither does Hunter. Not yet, anyway. If you want to keep it that way, pull up a chair and we'll talk."


	7. Chapter 7

Becky didn't need to look at the pictures. She had been there for each of those moments and had done her best to commit them to memory, hoping they would fuel her through the upcoming weeks and months she would have to spend apart from her dearest friends. She still looked, though, feeling indignation burn in her stomach like bile. She was allowed to have friends outside the company; there was no provision in the contract about that. If the McMahons were worried that she was leaking spoilers or giving away internal information, they were looking at the wrong person, because Becky barely knew anything about her upcoming storylines, let alone anything considered more important. It wasn't like she was spending every free minute with her friends, nor were they affecting her ability to work. How was it the McMahons' business who she associated with outside of a WWE ring? If they had any gripes, Becky could concede that they had a reason to be concerned about her showing up to her friends' indie shows, but she always went in disguise, never stayed long, and never made a scene.

Stephanie closed the screen with the surveillance pictures so suddenly that it almost made Becky dizzy. The other open window showed the old real estate listing for the hotel Roman's family had bought. When she was certain Becky had got a good look at that, Stephanie shut the laptop and turned it back around. "Like I said, my father doesn't know about these yet, and neither does Hunter. He's in Japan right now, by the way," Stephanie added with a cruel edge to her smile. "So don't bother trying to call him." Once again she motioned to the chair on Becky's side of the desk. "So have a seat and we'll talk."

Lowering herself into the chair slowly, Becky glanced over at Randy. "Does he need to be here? Are you really that worried that I'm going to launch myself over the desk and attack you?" When neither of them replied, Becky huffed out a breath. "I have a provision in my contract. . . ."

Nose wrinkling slightly in distaste, Stephanie nodded. "I'm aware. I'm not entirely sure why," she added, looking at Randy and then Becky. "I can't remember you two ever having a run-in, but. . . ." After a few moments, she dismissed Randy with a wave. "Go on. I'll be fine. Becky might do something stupid if it only came back to haunt her, but she knows her friends will suffer if she does anything to me, so she's going to behave. Aren't you?"

Becky wanted to take Stephanie's patronizing tone and shove it down her throat, but she forced herself to stay calm. Stephanie had just voiced one of her biggest fears, and Becky knew that Stephanie was a lot smarter than most people gave her credit for. Stephanie McMahon might have been the boss's daughter, but that would only ever get her so far; the keen mind and business acumen were all hers. "I won't start swinging fists if you don't," she said simply, folding her hands in her lap.

"Good." Stephanie nodded and motioned again to Randy. "Stay close to the door, just in case. Not close enough to eavesdrop," she added as a concession to Becky. "If anyone asks what you're doing, just tell them I'm on a call." Randy looked dubious, but he did as he was told, closing the door firmly behind him on his way out.

Becky highly doubted she would have any privacy. Randy might not be in the room, but Stephanie wasn't stupid; she would have a recording device somewhere, and there was probably a security camera that Becky couldn't see. "You've seen what I've brought to the women's division in a matter of _months_ ," Becky said flatly. She wasn't trying to brag, but if she could appeal to Stephanie's love of profit, maybe they could come to terms. "People are taking it seriously again. Women have had the main-event match on RAW three times in the past two months, and four times over on SmackDown. People are asking for more women's matches, more specials on the network. When Lawler says sexist shit, Twitter is taking him to task. The fans care, Stephanie. I didn't do it all, not by a long shot, but I helped it happen. Do you really want to fire me and lose some of that momentum over a few photos?"

Stephanie leaned back in her chair and smiled again. "Oh, I don't want to fire you at all. You've been an incredible asset to the women's division, and that's not cheap flattery. If we'd got Charlotte or Sasha or Bayley back instead of you, I don't think the women's division would be where it is today." Becky was surprised to see some genuine admiration in Stephanie's eyes. "But I also know that Hunter insists on _personally_ dealing with anything that involves you, and I want to know why."

That wasn't the angle Becky was expecting. As soon as Stephanie had shown her the pictures, she figured she was going to be blackmailed somehow. "We're not having an affair, if that's what you're wondering."

Stephanie's laugh was like broken glass, sharp and grating. "I already knew that. You aren't remotely his type." The way she said it piqued Becky's curiosity, but before she could comment, Stephanie was speaking again. "It's not that I question his interest in reviving the women's division. It's a priority of mine as well. But it's not his driving passion. Which again makes me wonder . . . why you?"

Becky gave a small shrug. "Token redhead? Token Irish lass? Maybe I just had the dumb luck of being the first one he could talk to alone." She had wondered that more than once: What would Hunter have done if it was Charlotte he could isolate or Sasha or Bayley? Would any of her friends been swayed?

"I don't think so." Stephanie leaned forward, planting her elbows on the desk and resting her chin on her hand. "I know he always had a soft spot for your attitude. You were never a cliche 'anti-diva', as such, but it was always obvious you weren't about the make-up and the fancy gear. You wanted to wrestle more than anything, and he respects that."

"There you have it, then. I guess." Becky's legs started to twitch. It was never advisable to play mind games with a McMahon, but she didn't even know which game Stephanie was playing, and she hated being at such a disadvantage. "So what do you want?" Pointing to the closed laptop, she said, "Want me to be more discreet when I'm meeting my friends? Friends I met, may I add, while working for your company? I can do that. They wouldn't even complain about it."

"They wouldn't, would they?" Stephanie's slow, sinister tone made Becky think of alligators surfacing slowly in a swamp, and she immediately regretting bringing up her friends. She could deal with whatever punishment or conditions Stephanie decided to slap on her, but she didn't want her any of her friends to get in trouble for trying to give her a nice surprise.

_Shit. What about Naomi and the Usos?_ Becky went still, dropping her gaze to her lap. Stephanie could only hurt Roman and the others indirectly, but she could ruin Naomi's chances of a title run and make the Usos toil in the mid-card. "What do you want, Steph?" Becky hated how tired and resigned she sounded, but she needed to get better footing in this conversation if she was to stand any chance of her friends remaining unscathed.

Stephanie, on the other hand, didn't seem to want to get to the point right away. Whether she wanted to see Becky squirm or perhaps she just loved the sound of her own voice, she changed focus and kept talking. "Hunter worked his ass off in this business, right from the start. He made that stupid Hunter Hearst Helmsley gimmick work so well that the name stuck." Stephanie's eyes narrowed then, glinting coldly in the unforgiving office light. "But he also _married_ into the business. Would he still have a place in WWE if we weren't married? Absolutely. He's brilliant and he's driven. Would he be a COO? Not likely. So yes, he married into this business. But me? I _am_ this business. I was groomed from childhood to take the reins, so I don't appreciate it when I'm left out of the loop."

_Ouch._ There was a strain of ruthlessness in the statement that was surprising even where Stephanie was concerned. "I honestly don't know, Steph. Maybe he figured I'd be the one most likely to cave and come back. Maybe he thought I'd be the most likely to get the others to come back—" Becky stopped herself there, hating that she even put the idea into words.

But Stephanie had caught it, of course, and she leaned back again, smile sharp and satisfied. "And there it is. Has he asked you to woo them back?"

Becky shook her head immediately. "No. He helped loosen the restrictions on their WWE names and made it easier for them to get indie bookings, but . . . I thought you were in on all of that?"

Stephanie's face betrayed nothing. "How did Hunter word it when we sent Seth after you all? _If you can turn Becky, the others will come too. Bayley's the one who will follow everyone, but Becky's the one anyone will follow._ " When Becky flinched at that, Stephanie laughed. "So Hunter never told you everything. I'm guessing Seth didn't either. They're both self-serving. It's not necessarily a bad trait, but it's _so_ easy to manipulate."

Every sentence out of Stephanie's mouth just made Becky want to ask another question, and she struggled to stay focussed. "So that's what you want? You want me to see what it would take to get them back?" That was at least a clearly defined goal. It wasn't one Becky could achieve, but she could at least go through the motions. "Who do you want back? What are you willing to offer?"

"You don't expect me to think you're going to sell out your friends that quickly, do you?" Stephanie's lips twisted in a smirk. "Hardly. But I'm not above . . . testing the waters, shall we say?"

"I would need a loose idea of what you're offering," Becky continued, "and assurances that Naomi and the Usos won't be punished or held back on account of any of this." Once again Becky was left wondering if she should have just left her mouth shut, because judging from the look on Stephanies face, the idea hadn't even occurred to her.

"Of course not." Stephanie even sounded vaguely offended. "We have big plans for Naomi, and the Usos are the backbone of our tag-team division." She slid a sealed envelope across the desk to Becky. "You can share that with The Shield and the Four Horsewomen, but no one else. I don't want to set too many rumours swirling around. And let's keep this little meeting between us, shall we?" Her smile was warmer, but no less a weapon. "No need to loop Hunter in until there's something to share, right?"

"Right." Becky held the envelope as if it might suddenly strangle her. "You might want to reconsider involving Randy in your dirty work, then," she said as she stood, channelling all the worry Stephanie had made her feel and shooting it right back at her. "Because if you think he doesn't report everything you say and do to Hunter, maybe you're the one being manipulated." Leaving Stephanie wide-eyed and stunned, Becky strode out of the office and towards the women's locker room, giving Randy a wide berth. After she tucked the envelope away, she went to find Sonya again, forcing herself to focus on the show for the rest of the night. If there was some sort of power play going on between Hunter and Stephanie, she didn't want to be a pawn in their game—at least not if it was chess. Since she couldn't change the players, maybe she just needed a way to alter the game board.


	8. Chapter 8

After the taping, Becky lingered over her coffee and chat with Cesaro. She didn't confide everything about her surprise vacation, of course—she definitely trusted him more than Randy, but she didn't doubt that he passed things along to Hunter too—but she was able to share photos of the sunsets and stories about the shared breakfasts. She almost slipped and mentioned Dean and Renee when she bought up the impromptu wedding, but she caught herself just in time. "I missed you," she said, hugging him as they parted ways in the hotel corridor. "It felt weird not to have an evening coffee with you in some place with no English on the menu."

Cesaro laughed. "We're supposed to have a European tour soon. We can make up for lost time then, and when we're in Dublin, then you can do the honours."

"Then that will be pubs, lad, not cafes!" Buoyed by laughter, Becky opened her suite door and stepped inside, tossing her bag up on the bed. Stephanie's mind games had been exhausting and Becky wanted nothing more than to sleep, or at least relax, but she knew Stephanie would expect some sort of answer soon. So she left the envelope on the bed, weighed it down with her phone, and undressed, taking her pyjama shirt and toiletries into the bathroom.

Showering alone almost felt weirder than sleeping alone. In just one week, she had grown so accustomed to having Seth near enough to touch, just a kiss away. In some ways, the week away felt like being on the indie circuit again, travelling between shows, and she found herself missing the uncertainty to a degree. There was a definite appeal to the consistency of the WWE: she was guaranteed matches—thanks to Hunter's intervention, anyway—and guaranteed pay, which was more than many other promotions could offer. When it came at the cost of freedom and friends, though, it wasn't so clear-cut.

Once she was in her pyjamas, Becky flopped on the bed and looked through her contacts. She didn't want to list her indie-circuit friends by either their ring names or their legal ones in case someone stole her phone, so she had assigned nicknames. The girls were easy: _Bae_ for Sasha, _Bestie_ for Charlotte, _Baby sis_ for Bayley, and _Maple_ for Renee, who always pretended to be sad that she was the only woman without an alias that started with B. Dean stayed as _Don_ , Seth was _Wolf_ because of his last name, and Roman was _Bear_ for his enveloping hugs. She thought about scrolling down to W to call Seth, but her thumb lingered over Roman's entry. She wasn't defaulting to him because he was like a leader, she kept telling herself; it was because he had kids, and thus the most to lose—or gain—by changing fortunes.

"Hey, Irish." Roman sounded tired, but not quite like he had just been woken up. "Did you mean to call me or did you not make it all the way to S for Seth?"

Becky laughed. "I have code names for all of you, actually. Not sure how much it helps, but I figured it couldn't hurt."

"Smart. So what am I? _Annoying older brother_? _Tyrant_? _Dictator?_ " Roman listed off increasingly worse possibilities.

"It's _Bear_ , you dope!" Becky stretched out and propped the phone against the neighbouring pillow. She'd thought about making it a video call, but she wasn't sure if the sight of her friends would make her tear up. "Because you give those massive, up-off-your-feet hugs!"

"Oh. That works. I would have thought it would be for Papa Bear, but that's good too." She could hear a squeak of springs in background and imagined Roman settling down in an armchair. "You sure you don't want me to loop in any of the others? I don't think anyone's asleep yet."

"Oh shit. Time zones. Sorry." That wasn't the only thing behind the guilt that stabbed at her gut. Becky knew all her friends deserved to know what was going on, but she wanted to keep it as containedas she could. Then no one would get their hopes up prematurely or accidentally blab something at an indie show that would end up on a dirt sheet website five minutes later. "No. It's nothing bad," she said quickly, which she immediately regretted. As soon as someone said that, anything they said after automatically took on a tinge of uncertainty. "I don't know if it's anything at all, really, so I'd rather keep it small for now, if that's okay? Are you somewhere where you can talk?"

"Yeah. Renee's trying to explain hockey to the rest of the girls, and Dean and Seth just got back from a ride, I think." Roman mostly stifled a yawn, but Becky caught a bit of it. "I told them I was going to call Galina quick and then go to bed."

"I can let you go and call back tomorrow," Becky offered. "At a better time. Just let me know where you'll be and I'll figure out—"

"Becks, it's fine." Roman's voice was back to calm and steadying, and Becky felt her heart rate slow. "What's up?"

Becky didn't want to start at the beginning, with Stephanie and the pictures, but she wasn't sure what type of lie to weave that would make sense, so she went with the truth. "Hunter's away and Steph called me into his office to show me pictures of my vacation." After a beat, she added, "Nothing graphic or anything." Given how many times she and Seth had fucked outside, she knew she should be grateful for that. "Mostly of me dress shopping with Sasha and Bayley, but also me with Dean and Renee and one of me with Charlotte."

"They sent someone to follow you? That's fucked up." Becky could picture the irritation pinching his expression into a grimace. "So what does she want? You're not forbidden from seeing us, are you?"

"No. I don't know if she means to blackmail me or what. She was kind of all over the place." Becky was still running through everything Stephanie had said, hoping to find weaknesses and loopholes to use against her. "But she wanted to 'test the waters' and see what it would take to get you guys back." Becky paused then. "Well, she didn't specifically mention Renee, but I'd assume she's included. Steph gave me an envelope, but I haven't opened it yet."

"Well, have at it. Let's see what Steph thinks we're worth—or at least what we'll settle for." Roman sounded like he was getting comfortable.

"Give me a minute." Becky tried to open the envelope as neatly as possible, unfolding the unbranded paper slowly. _Of course Stephanie wouldn't use official letterhead for something like this,_ she thought as she read down the list. She hadn't even usede the wrestlers' full names, just initials. _Anything so she can deny it came from her._ Becky skimmed down to the _RR_ heading first, not feeling quite right discussing what others might be offered. "For you, let's see. Three-year contract with a guarantee of two title runs, possibly more depending on fan reception. Four weeks of vacation per year. Choice of WrestleMania opponent, within reason. Bonus upon re-signing." When she listed the actual dollar amounts for him, he let out a low whistle. Even if the estimates were generous, Stephanie was willing to pay big bucks to get him back—provided the list was legitimate, of course.

"Wow. Steph ain't playing, is she? That's . . . that's a lot, Becks. I mean, four weeks vacation is a month with my family every year where I'm not flying in and out. Title runs and all that are just bonuses for me, really. It's the family time I want." He sounded almost humbled. "You don't have to tell me any details," he began, "but do the others have similar deals? Or at least as good?"

"From what I can see, yeah." Renee would be back on an announce table and get her own show on the WWE Network. Charlotte would be guaranteed to beat her father's legendary title count. Bayley and Sasha would both be assured of multiple title runs and better merchandising royalties. Dean would get more creative control. Seth would return to his former status—but there was a bullet point under _SR_ that was ominously empty, as if Stephanie weren't willing to share it just yet, or at least not with Becky. "But who knows how valid it is? I don't know if Stephanie can guarantee any of this, and I'd hate to lure you guys all back with false promises and then have us all flounder."

Roman gave a light chuckle. "You're hardly floundering, Irish. You're one of the stars of the women's division. And just because we start a discussion doesn't mean it ends in a contract. Let me mull over my details tonight and call back tomorrow and we can discuss what to tell the others. Did Stephanie give you a deadline?"

"No." Starting to get cold, Becky burrowed under her covers. "I don't know how long Hunter's away, though. I'm guessing she wants to get the ball rolling sooner rather than later."

"I just can't figure out her angle. She had the opportunity to keep all of us at different points, and they wouldn't meet our demands then. Why would they dump so much money trying to get all of us back all at once?" Roman clucked his tongue. "Unless she assumes we're a package deal?"

"Maybe. Maybe she thinks having you guys out there with your WWE names and moves undermines her somehow?" Before she could offer another theory, the room phone rang. "Hang on," she told Roman, reluctantly getting out from under the blankets. "Front desk must be calling." She set her cell phone face down on the bed and scurried over to the room phone. "Hello?"

"Hello, ma'am. Am I speaking with Rebecca?" the painfully polite voice asked. 

"Yes," Becky replied. "Is something wrong?" She didn't think she had left her credit card downstairs at the sign-in desk, but she'd also had a lot on her mind. 

"No, ma'am. A parcel arrived for you. As per our security protocols with celebrity guests, it's been scanned and there doesn't appear to be anything dangerous inside." In the background, Becky could hear the dinging of an arriving elevator car. "Would you like to have it sent up to you now?"

"Uh, sure. Is there any mention of the sender, by chance?" Becky asked. She hadn't told Roman and the others where she was staying, but maybe they found out somehow and had sent her a surprise. 

"S. McMahon," the clerk reported. "I'll have it brought up to you right away. Have a good night."

"Thanks. You too." Becky grabbed her purse before returning to the bed, hoping she had some cash handy to give the delivery person a tip. "Hey, Roman? I have to go. A package came for me, so I'll have to sign for it. When's a good time to call you tomorrow?"

"Oooh. A _package_. Do you have a secret admirer Seth needs to worry about?" Roman was laughing as he said it, though. "Around this time's not bad. Maybe an hour earlier if you could. I don't know what your schedule is like."

Tomorrow was mostly interviews, so her evening was blissfully free. "Sounds good. Talk soon. Give everyone my love."

"Will do. Sweet dreams, Irish."

As soon as Becky had disconnected, there was a knock on the door and she barely remembered to shrug into her robe before answering it. "Delivery for Rebecca?" the young man stated.

"That's me. Thanks." She handed him some money discreetly before shutting the door and returning to her bed. The box was standard cardboard brown, and all the information on it had been printed by computer, so she couldn't even deduce anything based on the writing. "If you expect me to get answers this quick, Steph," she muttered, slicing through the tape seals with a pair of nail scissors, "you overestimate me." Stephanie would know where she was staying, of course, but why go through the trouble—and expense—of sending a package when they had just been talking a few hours ago?

The answer was obvious as soon as Becky saw the silvery envelope on top of wads of crinkled packing paper. _Becky_ was scrawled across the front and inside was a plain piece of card stock with an equally simple message: _For a future sneakerhead._

And then Becky remembered that Stephanie wasn't the only McMahon whose name started with an S.


	9. Chapter 9

_Beware of Greeks offering gifts._ Becky thought that if you substituted _McMahons_ for _Greeks_ , it would be even more accurate. The sneakers beneath the brief note were sheer perfection: accented in her current gear colours, extra long laces like she preferred, not a stitch out of place. For a moment she was surprised that they were exactly the right size and fit, but since the McMahons would have access to all her measurements for the wardrobe crew, it made sense. Or at least it would have if they had come from Stephanie. But she was more the type to send jewellery or some rare collectible. Shane, on the other hand, was an avowed sneakerhead.

Tucked inside each shoe was a business card. The one in the left was for the designer, listing all her social media accounts on one side; on the other, she scrawled a small note saying she was a big fan and couldn't believe that her favourite wrestler would be wearing one of her designs. The other card was Shane's, and Becky was vaguely surprised to see the WWE logo on it. He had already been out of the company for a few years before she and the Four Horsewomen came and left, and it wasn't something anyone in the company talked much about. Becky thought she heard something about him working with a company in Asia, but otherwise he had received the patented WWE silent treatment, in which they hoped never mentioning a character or storyline would effectively wipe them from most fans' memories. Strangely enough, it often worked; even Becky could attest to forgetting who a former WWE star was until she saw them in an old match on DVD and had to struggle to remember why they left.

It had already been a long day, and she had already dealt with one more McMahon than she wanted to, but Becky's curiosity was piqued. She tried on the shoes first and did a few test walks around the suite before she programmed the number into her phone and called Shane. Since she wasn't sure where he was, she couldn't calculate time zones, but she figured that was his problem. _If he wanted a specific time,_ Becky reasoned as the line rang, _he should have given more details_.

"Hello?" It wasn't the most formal greeting, but Becky had heard his voice in old clips. More than that, she could recognize the McMahon accent that honed every single syllable.

"Thanks for the shoes." It wasn't the most formal reply either, but Becky wanted to see what his angle was. "What's the occasion?"

Shane laughed. "Right to the point. Typical Becky Lynch. I like it. I'm guessing you know who I am."

Becky gave a small chuckle. "Let's pretend I don't. All I know for sure is that someone sent some custom shoes to me at my hotel. Maybe it's a crazy fan, maybe not. There's lots of _S. McMahon_ s out there, I'm sure."

"Touche." Shane cleared his throat. "Yes, this is Shane McMahon. I wasn't intending to make you think it was from Stephanie, if that's what you're thinking. I just didn't want anyone seeing my full name and yours and jumping to conclusions."

_Speaking of jumping. . . ._ Becky did a few experimental hops in her new shoes. They truly were incredible; she could barely tell she had anything on her feet. Before she could get carried away, she forced herself to sit on the bed and take the shoes off, tucking them back in their nondescript box. "Fair enough. So what's the occasion, Shane? I don't think we met when I was wrestling over in Japan, and you had left WWE before I got here, so am I forgetting a time our paths did cross?"

"No, I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you in person yet, but I'd like to change that. I'm guessing you noticed the logo on my business card," Shane added. "I'm back in the fold now, with a bunch of random and pompous letters beside my name."

"Lucky you." Becky tried to soften the edge in her voice. As someone who had worked her whole life to achieve her goals, she didn't have a lot of sympathy for people born into luxury who could drop in and out of the family business on a whim. "If you're looking for shoe models, Carmella would probably be a better candidate."

"Not quite." Becky heard a few beeps on Shane's end, but their connection didn't falter. "I'd like to speak with you in person this week, Becky, if you have some spare time."

"You found my shoe size and specs easily enough," Becky countered, "so I'm sure you know my wrestling schedule." It was a very watered-down version of the back-and-forth jabs she used to have with Dean or Seth, and even though she hadn't parted ways with her friends all that long ago, it made her miss them all the more. 

Shane cleared his throat again. "I'd rather not meet in an arena—or on WWE time. It's business related, but my sister doesn't know about it yet and I'd like to keep it that way."

Becky swore under her breath. She had just finished being blackmailed by Stephanie, and she really didn't want to incur her wrath again if she could avoid it. "Aren't you all playing for the same team? Big happy family and all?"

Shane's booming laugh definitely reminded her of Vince's. "If you think the McMahons have _ever_ been a big happy family, you clearly haven't been with the company long enough. Yes, I know Steph's handling some things while Hunter's still in Japan, so I'm absolutely taking advantage of a camp divided. Or at least I'm hoping to. Would you have time to talk? No intimidation, no blackmail, no pressure. You have my word."

Something Shane had said stuck in Becky's head, bumping up against a vague memory. Hunter was still in Japan—and hadn't Shane worked for an Asian-based company after leaving WWE? The two weren't necessarily related, of course: Asia was huge and diverse, and WWE was always trying to expand their global presence. "I'm on the house show card in Nevada on the weekend," she said. "I should be able to have a meeting beforehand." Did he know she was on a very discreet leash? She didn't know and didn't want to ask. If he knew Hunter and Stephanie had something on her, he might try to exploit that. She would have to think of a way to not be followed, though. After seeing the pictures that Stephanie had, she knew she had to be more careful.

"I'll be there for the Saturday show," Shane replied. "How do you feel about brunch?"

"Hungry, usually." Becky's lips twitched when she heard Shane laugh.

"I walked into that one. But yeah, brunch should be good. I don't think we have any promotional events going on before the Saturday show. . . ." There were a few more beeps on his end before he returned. "Nope. Some signings before the Sunday show, but you're not a part of that. I'll look into restaurants and get back to you before Friday. Oh, and Becky? Bring your bike."

"Usually do." After they said their goodbyes and disconnected, Becky glanced down at the shoe box again. Once upon a time, she couldn't get anyone in management to pay attention to her, to believe in her. Now they were all clamouring to talk to her. _If Vince sends me a text,_ she thought incredulously, _I will utterly fucking lose it._. She was tempted to call Roman back, or even see if anyone else was still up, but she made herself set her phone on the writing desk. There was nothing to report about Shane yet, and she still hadn't figured out what to do about Stephanie's cryptic offer. Being stuck between McMahons was worse than being between a rock and a hard place; when it came to business, they were unrelenting, and Becky didn't want to get herself—or her friends—caught in the crossfire.


	10. Chapter 10

Now that he knew her cell phone number, Shane was treating Becky like an old buddy, texting her a picture of his kids from their last vacation and sending her an invite to some app-based game she had never heard of. She ignored the latter, but replied with a casually kind message about his sons. By the time he finally sent information about a restaurant for Saturday, she'd already deleted three screens' worth of texts with him just to free up some space on her phone. After suggesting a time and giving the name and address of the restaurant, Shane had added _Private parking is in the back. You're covered. Park by the black and red bike._

Becky expected to find some gleaming custom Harley-Davidson in the back lot when she was let inside by a parking guard, but the only bike there was a street-racing one. It was black and red, but all sleek angles, like someone had found a way to put a throwing star on wheels. She hadn't even realized there was a door beside it until the wall seemed to push out and a woman motioned her inside. "Ms. Lynch? Mr. McMahon is waiting for you. I'll show you the way."

The woman looked like she probably knew seven languages and five martial arts, and Becky wondered if she was actually bad at anything; she exuded competence. "Thanks," Becky said feebly when the woman had walked her through a minimalist dining area that looked like it belonged in a futuristic sci-fi movie. When Shane stood to shake her hand, she noticed a television screen on the wall that showed both their bikes in the secure parking lot. "Convenient," she said, "and a bit creepy."

"I was just curious as to which style you favoured. I heard you had to leave your old bike behind when you came back to WWE," Shane explained, "so I wasn't sure if you would go for something different or stick to what you knew."

How far back had he dug into her life? Becky decided she didn't want to know. Like most people, there were things in her past she didn't care to recall, and if he was going to hold them against her, she hoped he enjoyed paying for her inevitably overpriced brunch. "You could have just asked."

To her surprise, Shane nodded. "You're right. In business, taking the initiative is usually praised. Sometimes I have to remember that doesn't always translate as well to people. I wasn't digging for dirt, I promise. Out of the Four Horsewomen, you're the one who was least written about—at least until you came back. And even then, it was the same refrain: started young, debilitating injury that forced you away, came back for a try-out on the cusp of snagging an acting role."

Becky just shrugged. She didn't have famous relatives like Sasha and Charlotte did, and she wasn't a kid-friendly favourite like Bayley. "That's pretty much it, to be honest. The rest is just fine detail. We've all got gaps; it's the bridges over the gaps that people care about."

Shane tilted his head from side to side. "I'm not entirely sure I agree. The bridges are the part we see, but that's like icebergs: what you _don't_ see is what's likely to kill you. Some bridges go over dry creek beds, and others span canyons. To call them equal does a disservice to both, don't you think?"

"Not necessarily. Problems need to be put in perspective." For as often as she complained about Charlotte's silver-spoon connections, Becky knew Charlotte hated not being able to get five minutes into an interview without someone asking about Ric Flair. "But I'm guessing you didn't invite me here to be philosophical."

"Very true." Shane handed her what looked like a thick menu from the side of the table and only when she grabbed it did Becky realize it was a tablet. "It's linked to the kitchen so we can order directly. Pick whatever you like."

"Perks of an expense account, huh?" Becky wasn't the type to order the most expensive thing off a menu out of spite, but she didn't hold back either, selecting a few items she wouldn't have splurged on if she were footing the bill. Once she had confirmed her order, she set the tablet aside. "Does away with the _I don't know how to pronounce that_ awkwardness, I guess."

"Becky, I understand why you're hesitant to trust a McMahon. Trust me, I get it. It's my _family_ and I get it. Steph or Dad could call me to wish me a happy birthday and my first thought would be _What do they want?_ " His chuckle was more sorrowful than scathing. "And I can't say that distrust isn't warranted. We've done a lot of wrestlers wrong in the past."

She didn't reply. Shane's confession only carried so much weight, and she certainly wasn't going to coddle his feelings, no matter how posh the brunch might be. A green light flashed on the table, distracting her. "What's that?"

"Ah. Our drinks are here." Shane tapped the green light and the door swished open, admitting a server who was as minimalist as the decor; if Becky had to describe him to someone, she wasn't sure she could even settle on a hair colour. "Anyway, as I was saying, we've made a lot of mistakes. We're trying to get better. The next generations of wrestlers are going to be a huge part of that. It has to be a culture shift. I know, I know," he added when he saw Becky roll her eyes. "I hate corporate speak too. But I think it applies here. If our talent don't demand better, it's all too easy to fall back into bad habits and practices. We all have to hold each other accountable."

"And let me guess: That's where I come in. Since I've left and come back, you think other wrestlers trust me more or something?" This meeting didn't have the undertone of intimidation that Stephanie's did, but it was starting to feel just as calculated.

"You might not always notice it, Becky, but you have a lot of respect in the locker room. They don't think less of you for coming back; they're proud of everything you did in the indies. And yes, I've asked around." Shane leaned back in his chair and gave her an appraising look. "That's the kind of attitude I think WWE needs going forward. Dad doesn't always agree, as I'm sure you know. In a lot of ways, he's still stuck in the past. He likes his women blonde and his men to be giants. He'll never really invest in the Cruiserweight division. He'll agree to rebrand the women's belt, but he'll never really see it as an equal draw to the men's. And I'm not saying those are easy changes to make either, but they're ones that I think are worth the effort. And I want to work with people who feel the same."

"I'm already doing my best to help the women's division," Becky replied. "I bring my all to every match and encourage my opponents to do the same. I'm trying to get them to be loud on social media, to get attention. But we're not the ones who book the matches."

"I know." Shane tapped a finger on the table. "There's going to be an official brand split soon. Stephanie's going to get RAW and I'll get SmackDown. And I want people on my team who are working towards that goal. I love this business. I want to take it over someday—and I want to leave it in good shape so my sons or Stephanie's daughters want to take it over when it's their time. I want to be proud of what it is now but also where it's heading."

"I agree," Becky said cautiously, "but Hunter negotiated my return. I'm guess that means I'm bound to RAW." As fun as the draft episodes were, the results were all pre-determined, so there would be no suspense for her.

The corner of Shane's mouth lifted in a smile. "Not necessarily. Hunter and I have been talking. We share some similar ideas and goals—ones Stephanie doesn't."

Becky narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying Hunter's working with you? Does Stephanie know?"

Shane winked and put a shhh-ing finger to his lips. "Things are in the works. But you know some of Hunter's ideas first-hand . Once this brand split happens, I'll be in charge of hiring for SmackDown, which means I get to decide the terms of contracts—"

"Ah." A small part of Becky was disappointed. Yet again, someone was negotiating with her in order to try getting access to her friends. First it had been Seth at Stephanie and Hunter's behest, and then to a lesser degree Hunter himself. Now Shane was trying it. She would be lying if she said her ego wasn't a tiny bit bruised, but mostly it just made her feel stupid. How many times did they think she would fall for the same ruse? _I really must be the weakest link,_ she thought, staying silent as the green light blinked again and Shane pressed it to activate the door. Two servers arrived this time, equally bland, and they set the table with eerie efficiency. "You want me to talk to The Shield and the Four Horsewomen," she said after the servers had left.

"And Renee. I would love to have her on commentary. It's not enough to showcase the women in the ring. We need more women's voices in our industry across the board." Shane picked up his fork, but didn't start eating right away. "I have to say, I thought you'd be more enthused about the prospect of your friends coming back. It must have been hard to leave them." Then his eyes lit up and went wide. "I heard Stephanie called you into the office. Did she make a similar offer?"

Becky shook her head. If she were savvy enough, she might be able to play the McMahons off each other, but it would take delicacy. "You haven't really made an offer, to be honest. They're not going to just take you at your word."

It was so eerily similar to what had happened with Stephanie that for a moment, Becky wondered if it was a set-up, if they had both agreed to make her an offer and then waited to see what she'd do with it. Shane handed her a substantial manila envelope without hesitation. "Contracts. Ready to go. I think the terms are fair, but they're negotiable, of course. Feel free to send them to your friends or text pictures or whatever you think is best." And then, as if he hadn't just handed her a near-miracle, he added, "And try the mini waffle donuts. They're gluten-free—I checked—and they're delicious."

It was all surreal, from the ridiculously good meal to their casual chat. When she got back to the hotel, she had a couple hours to spare, so she curled up on her bed and shamelessly read over the contract offers Shane was proposing. The terms differed from Stephanie's, but all in all, they were equally generous. Her head was drowning in numbers and she didn't want to her last free hour obsessing over how she should have handled things, so she called Seth instead. They were in the same state for a change, and The Shield and the Four Horsewomen actually had the bigger event, so she wasn't sure any of them would be available.

Seth answered on the second ring, however, and he didn't sound like he was in a rush. "Hey, Irish. What's up? Don't you have a show tonight?"

"Yeah. I have to leave in about an hour. I just . . . I've got a lot going through my head and I needed to talk to someone."

"You have the wrong number, then. Sorry. This is Seth, not _someone_." Then Seth laughed. "Sorry. I thought you might need a dad joke since you normally talk to Roman first."

"I'm putting you on speaker." Becky adjusted the settings and set the phone on the adjacent pillow. It would never be as good as having him there, but it meant she could move around more. "So how's the tournament thing going? I saw where New Japan was favoured to win overall, but I think The Shield has a pretty good chance of going far."

"We definitely hope so. Of course, they have the benefit of a stable league," Seth replied, "but we have variety on our side. The Horsewomen are going to clean up, though."

Becky felt a small pang and she was glad she hadn't made it a video call; her expression definitely would have given her away. In her head, she still called them the Four Horsewomen, automatically including herself in their number, but she had to acknowledge that was no longer the case. If only Charlotte, Sasha, and Bayley showed up, people would always be asking who the fourth was, why she wasn't there. It made more sense to rebrand and she knew it, but it didn't mean it didn't hurt. "Of course. I never had any doubt."

"So what's up, Irish? You don't normally sound this bummed before a house show," Seth pointed out. "Those are usually your favourites."

He wasn't wrong. Becky loved the extra freedom both in the ring and out of it. In the matches, the wrestlers didn't have to focus quite as much on advancing a storyline, and they could play more to the audience, trying out new moves and new gear. That made it feel special for the smaller crowds, who often got lacklustre shows since they weren't being recorded. Stephanie and Hunter also tended to give her a little more space after house shows too, so even if there wasn't much to do, Becky at least had some much appreciated privacy. "They are. I've just heard some rumours about things going down," she hedged, "and I'm not sure what to do with them." It had only been a matter of days since she had spoken with Stephanie, so she wasn't sure how much Roman had shared with the others. 

"You don't have to worry about getting chopped," Seth said quickly. "Hunter worked too hard to get you back. And even if something did happen—and you know that's a big fucking _if_ —the indies would welcome you back with open arms. You could waltz right into the tournament today and they would make sure they could find you an opponent."

Becky wasn't so sure. You could only flip-flop so many times before one side—if not both—decided you weren't worth the trouble. "I'm pretty sure I'm safe," she replied, patting the envelope with the contracts from Shane. It was a huge deal and it wasn't right to keep the opportunity from her friends; ultimately it was their decision to make. "But I do need to talk to everyone this weekend. When's a good time to call?"

"The tournament will run later than the show," Seth calculated, "but since Cesaro always takes you out for coffee, that doesn't really matter." 

She caught the slight hint of bitterness in his tone. "He doesn't take me out, Seth. We go together. As friends. Sometimes he pays, sometimes I do. We talk about Europe and wrestling and it's half an hour where I don't have to constantly watch what I say to another wrestler, so I'm not going to apologize for that. I love Naomi and the girls, but some things I've said in passing have already made their way back to Stephanie, so I have to be so careful. . . ."

"Sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean—" Seth let out a snort. "I just miss you, that's all, and I wish it were me who was going for late-night coffees."

"You and Cesaro _would_ make a cute couple," Becky joked lightly. "I miss you too. I miss all of you. So much." _But maybe not for long._ Over the past few months, she hadn't dared hope that her friends could return; dealing with the bitter reality outright made it easier to bear than if she cloaked it in hopes and dreams. Now there were two separate offers on the table, two distinct possibilities, and she wasn't sure she could trust either. "I'll try calling around midnight," she added, "so text me if that doesn't work. I should probably start getting ready."

"Good luck out there tonight," Seth said. "Have fun."

"You too." It would have been the proper spot for _I love you_ s, but they always hesitated at the same time, letting the silence fill the space. As Becky disconnected, she almost found herself wishing silence could smooth over the contract discussions as well, because she had no idea what to say or do that wouldn't end up hurting someone.


	11. Chapter 11

Becky wasn't used to being so in demand, at least not on a house show weekend. In the smaller locations where there wasn't as much to do, most of the wrestlers took advantage of the brief downtime and called their families or caught up on their favourite movies, TV shows, or video games. Cesaro's options for gourmet coffee were slim to none, but he suggested an alternative. "I always bring a small French press with me," he confided as he and Becky rode up in the elevator. "And some freshly ground coffee just in case."

"In case of a caffeine emergency?" Becky teased lightly. In all honesty, she couldn't blame him. They were on the road so often and kept such odd hours that coffee practically qualified as a necessity. "Well, if you're willing to share, we could probably get a kettle of hot water from room service."

"This isn't some cheap attempt to get in your room," Cesaro said suddenly, "or to get you in mine."

"I know that." While Cesaro had let her know that he'd be open to more than friendship, he had never brought it up since. "I trust you. If you'd rather go down to the dining room," she added, "I'm sure they could open it for us for a little while." Since WWE had essentially booked most of the hotel, the owners had been falling over themselves to accommodate any requests the wrestlers made; compared to some of the strange meals a few people had asked for, Becky thought opening the dining room for half an hour was relatively minor.

Cesaro shook his head. "Your room is fine. I'll just have to stop at mine to get the kit." When they got off the elevator and headed to Cesaro's suite, Becky thought she could feel someone watching her and turned just in time to see Randy Orton watching them from down the hall. "Ignore him," Cesaro advised. "Everyone else does."

"Everyone else doesn't have an iron-clad contract with Hunter," Becky replied, turning away and leaning against the wall as Cesaro opened his door. "I give him three seconds and he'll be on his phone reporting to Stephanie, telling her he saw me going to your room." She didn't really care what Hunter or Stephanie thought about her, but if any rumours about her being involved with Cesaro hit the dirt sheets, she would have to do damage control with Seth and the others. Even if they believed her, the seed would be planted and anything else they heard would automatically seem a little less unlikely. That was usually Randy's method of attack—set a trap and let his prey get tangled up in it, then finish them off. "And that's nothing against you. I just don't like being the subject of rumours. It leaves a stain that never really goes away."

"It's harder for women, I know." Cesaro held open the door, but Becky lingered in the doorway, one leg stretched out into the hall. It reminded her of some of the measures parents took when she was a teenager to try preventing their kids from having sex, like keeping one foot on the floor if they were sitting with someone on their bed or the couch. All of Cesaro's things were neatly lined up against the wall and he found his coffee kit in seconds. "I have cups," he said, "so we don't need to ask for any."

"They'll probably send some anyway." Becky took the kit from him while he closed up his suite. "And tea and biscuits and whatever else. I think they're just glad for the business, not that I can blame them." More and more of the smaller cities were getting left off of the house show circuit, so the ones that did get events were trying to keep them. 

Since Becky had the coffee kit, Cesaro took her bag. "You're in 427, right?" When she nodded, he took the coffee kit from her and gestured to her bag. "Not a long walk."

"It never is." Hunter and Stephanie rarely attended the house shows, but they always made sure her rooms were near Cesaro's and Randy's; almost everyone else was responsible for booking their own. "I don't mind it with you, of course." After she pulled her room key from her purse, she motioned down the short hall. "He's the one who bothers me."

"Maybe he has a crush on you," Cesaro quipped, leaning out of reach when Becky playfully shoved at his chest. "I'm joking. Mostly. I think he admires you in a strange way. You're one of the few people who doesn't blindly follow what Hunter and Stephanie say. I think it intrigues him."

Becky would much rather Randy didn't think of her at all, but she didn't say it. While she trusted Cesaro enough to let her guard down a bit around him, he was still aligned with Hunter and Stephanie, so she knew she had to be careful. "Why don't you get the press set up," she suggested, "and I'll call down for hot water?" Now that she was in her suite, her brain was starting to go into decompression mode, craving the warmth of a shower and the comfort of pyjamas; both of those would have to wait until Cesaro was gone. "Hello. I'm in Room 427," Becky said when someone answered, their voice tinny on the room's old phone. "Could I get a kettle of hot water and some coffee cups sent up, please?" She kept quiet while the person went through their obligatory spiel about late-night offerings. "Just the hot water and cups, please. We have coffee grounds of our own, thank you." The clerk sounded vaguely disappointed, making Becky wonder how much they relied on tips; she would be sure to leave a good one. "Thank you very much. Have a good night." She let out a sigh of exasperation when she hung up and reached for her purse again. "They asked if we wanted a meal or a snack—tried to upsell me on damn near everything in the kitchen." The clerk had also discreetly offered to get condoms sent up, but Becky didn't see the need to share that fact.

Cesaro saw her flipping through her wallet and waved a hand. "I'll get the tip. It was my idea," he reminded her, "and some places frown on customers bringing their own food and drink." He reached into his wallet and pulled out twenty dollars. "It's not that much different than what we'd pay if we went out for coffee and pastries," he added with a shrug.

"True." Either most of the wrestlers weren't back yet or Becky had hit a lull, because in a matter of minutes, there was a knock on the door. The girl standing in the hallway with the tray looked like she should still be in high school, but she had the poise and focus of a ballet dancer. "Just over there, please," Becky said, indicating the side table. The cups didn't even rattle when the girl set down the tray. "Thanks so much." Becky discreetly slipped her the twenty and smiled. "Have a good night."

"Thank you, ma'am. You too." Bowing her head slightly, the girl backed out of the room and shut the door behind her.

" _Ma'am_ ," Cesaro echoed with a chuckle.

"If there were a male equivalent of _Miss_ and _Ma'am_ ," Becky countered, "you'd be getting the latter too." There was no good place for two people to sit platonically in the suite, so she grabbed the tray from the side table and settled on the floor. To her surprise, the hotel kitchen hadn't tried to add any perks; it was just the hot water and coffee cups they had asked for, along with two spoons. As she spun one between her fingers, Becky had an idea. "Could I ask you a favour?"

Cesaro let out a soft, resigned breath as he sat down and poured water into the French press. "I know your friends are in Nevada. Don't look so surprised. That tournament is well known, and Stephanie makes a point of following their bookings as much as she can."

So much for subtlety. "Did she give you any . . . instructions? You don't have to tell me," Becky said quickly. "I don't want to make things awkward for you."

"It's fine." Cesaro smiled. "She never gave me explicit orders one way or the other, but she did say you might try to contact them." He reached over and patted Becky's knee. "I know you had a meeting with her the other day. You don't have to tell me what you discussed. But if you want to arrange a meeting with your friends tomorrow, I'll go with you. I'm scheduled for a signing at three, though," he cautioned her, "so I'd have to watch the time." The two house shows were only about two hours apart, so most of the wrestlers were keeping the one booking at their current hotel and just driving the extra distance for the Sunday show.

"Thank you." Guilt still coursed through her, though. She wasn't exactly using him, but it didn't feel right to involve him in something when he didn't know all the details. "I'll just get my phone and text them quickly to see when they're available. I . . . uh, I need to make some copies of things. Did you notice if there's a conference room in the hotel?" While she tried to remember what was all on the hotel's main floor, Becky sent a quick group text to her friends: _I should be able to get away for a little while tomorrow late morning or early afternoon. Any chance we can hang out?_

Cesaro shrugged. "I wasn't really looking for one, but I'm sure the desk clerk can help you out." Through some unseen alchemy, he declared the coffee done and started pouring it into the cups, describing the blend and the notes with his usual attention to detail. "I'll go back down with you after coffee if you don't trust Orton not to follow."

"Thanks." Becky would have gone on her own, but it was always nice to have back-up. It was even better to have a friend, and she hoped she was slowly getting to the point where she could accept Cesaro as one. Her phone beeped and chimed and trilled, indicating several replies, but she looked for Roman's first, since he tended to be the most organized. _We'll make it happen,_ he had replied with a series of goofy emojis. _Text us a place and time tonight and we'll be there._ "They can meet tomorrow," she relayed to Cesaro. "They said to pick a place and time."

"I'll look at a map while you're making your copies," Cesaro volunteered, "and try to find a place that's about halfway." They didn't rush through their coffees, though, and Becky turned their conversation to other things, namely Swiss chocolate. When they were done, Becky dumped the remainder of the water down the bathroom sink and reset the tray so they could take it down with them. "Housekeeping would just pick it up tomorrow," Cesaro told her.

"I know." Becky discreetly tucked Stephanie's small envelope inside Shane's larger one before grabbing her purse. "But we're already going down, so. . . ."

When they got off the elevator on the main floor, a kitchen worker pushing a cart was so surprised to see Becky holding the tray that he almost tipped over his cart. "If you're done with that, ma'am, I can take it back for you," he offered, holding out his hands. "We would have collected it in the morning."

"I know. I needed to come down anyway. Do you know if there's a conference room or anything like that?" Becky asked. From the elevators the hotel branched off in a surprising number of directions, given its relatively small size.

The worker nodded. "The front desk clerk can give you access."

"Thanks." Becky and Cesaro headed to the front desk, where the clerk looked ready to give a similar _We would have come up to help you!_ speech. "When does the conference room open?" she asked. "I need to make some photocopies."

Happy for something to do, the clerk motioned to her co-worker that she would be leaving her station. Most of the wrestlers must have returned already, because the ground floor was eerily quiet. "You can make them right now, if that's convenient for you," the clerk offered. "Feel free to use any of the stationery or supplies at the station. Do you need any special formatting done?"

Becky shook her head. "Nope. Just standard copies and some envelopes to put them in is good, thanks." When the clerk let them in to a large meeting room and motioned to a looming beast of a photocopier, Becky had a moment of concern, but then she saw all the 'helpful hints' taped to the wall above the machine. "Thanks so much," she told the clerk with a smile. While she would have ordinarily appreciated the help, she didn't want any strangers catching a glimpse of the contracts from Shane. "We won't be long."

The desk clerk smiled warmly. "Take all the time you need. If you need help, just pick up the room phone and hit zero." She lingered for a moment, giving Becky a chance to reconsider the offer of help, then headed for the door.

Cesaro sat in one of the plush meeting chairs and started looking up maps on his phone. "They're staying close to the tournament, right?" When Becky nodded, he added, "There's a nice park about halfway between here and there. Fresh air, open space—"

"But no coffee," she pointed out with a smile, jumping a bit when the photocopier roared to life. Becky unfolded Stephanie's notes first and made ten copies just to be safe. After pulling ten large manila envelopes off a shelf, she tucked the copies of Stephanie's notes in an envelope and started arranging the contracts from Shane.

Making multiple copies of one thing was less time consuming than making single copies of many things, but Becky eventually found a rhythm, shuffling the originals off into a separate pile and making envelopes for each of her friends. On a whim, she took ten sheets of hotel stationery as well. It had been a long time since she had written letters by hand, but she wanted to leave a little note for each of her friends so their gathering—which unfortunately would have to be short—wouldn't feel so clinical. "Actually," Cesaro said out of nowhere, startling her, "there's a decent-sounding cafe not far from the park. It would be hard to carry drinks on the bikes, though." 

"They usually travel in a large van between shows," Becky said. "And tow their bikes. I can ask them to bring the van tomorrow. They'll be sad that they're missing out on a ride, but it'll make things easier. Can you text all the information to me so I don't miss anything?"

"Of course." By the time Becky had made sure she had all the copies she needed and shut down the machine, her phone made a popping sound. "That's my notification sound?" Cesaro seemed surprised.

"I've been trying to find one that reminds me of you," Becky replied with a shrug. "It's hard." After stacking all the envelopes on the table with the originals, she did a quick once-over of the area and figured she had cleaned up her mess well enough. "Do you need anything from here?"

Cesaro shook his head. "I'm good to go." After Becky grabbed all the envelopes, they headed out, Cesaro shutting off the light behind them. "We're all done," he told the clerk as they walked past the front desk again. "Thank you for all your help,"

"You're welcome. If there's anything else you need," she replied, "just call down. We're happy to help."

Hugging the envelopes to her chest, Becky looked up at Cesaro as they waited for the elevator to arrive. "Thank you. You've been a good friend through all of this. If it weren't for you and Naomi, I don't know how I would cope."

"You'd find a way." Cesaro shot her a reassuring smile and motioned her forward when the elevator opened. "And I know it may not feel like it, but Stephanie and Hunter do want you to be happy. Most people do their work better when they're happy, so it's in their best interest."

Becky wasn't so sure she believed that. It wasn't that she expected everything on a silver platter upon her return, but they had to realize she would chafe at some of their restrictions. "I guess." When they got out on their floor this time, there was no Randy Orton peering around, thankfully, so they took their time. "Don't forget you left your coffee kit in my room," Becky said when Cesaro went to continue on down the hallway. "Unless it's a gift. . . ."

"Well, your birthday _was_ in January and I don't think I got you anything," Cesaro mused, "so thank you for the idea." He lingered a polite distance away while Becky opened her door and even after she stepped inside, he stayed in the doorway. "Text me when you know more details about tomorrow. We can talk over breakfast."

There was a sense of distance between them now that had nothing to do with physical space, and Becky's guilt roiled in her gut again. Just as she hadn't seen a way to keep her friends happy and safe without going back to the WWE, it seemed like there was no clear-cut way to keep both camps of her friends happy either. "Thank you, Cesaro." Handing him his coffee kit, she gave him a quick hug. "Have a good night."

"You too, Becky." His lips twitched in a smile as he stepped back into the hall, and Becky watched to make sure he went into his room.

Now that she was alone for the first time in hours, Becky felt almost lost. She treated herself to a long hot shower and sat on her bed after she had dried her hair, spreading the envelopes and copies out in front of her. Then she put her phone on speaker to free up her hands and called Seth's number first. "Hey. Is this too late?"

She could practically hear Seth's smile, slow and warm. "Never. We just got back about half an hour ago, so I'm waiting for one of the showers. What's up?"

"Can Roman join in too? I have a question," Becky said, grabbing the blank hotel stationery and taking it over to the writing desk. She didn't want to try writing notes while talking at the same time.

"I'll go check. Hang on." When Seth set his phone down, Becky realized she hadn't asked how the tournament went. Her mind was stretched in a dozen different directions and she wondered if she was ever going to get it back in shape again. "I'm back." Becky could hear a slight hiss when he switched to speaker as well.

"And I'm here." Roman sounded a bit tired, but content. "Hey, Becks. What's up?"

"I have a few questions, but first—how was the tournament? Did you all advance?" Becky couldn't remember all the rules of the event, but it involved wrestlers from all over the world, so even advancing was an honour.

"Everybody but Charlotte," Roman reported. "She tweaked her knee in a match against a woman from Australia. She's pissed, but it should heal up in a couple weeks. So what's your question? Shouldn't you be getting some sleep, young lady?"

Becky chuckled. "I've gone from _ma'am_ to _young lady_ in the same night. I'm going to get a complex." A sudden wave of hesitation overtook her as she looked at the array of information on the bed before her. There were seven large envelopes and each had a copy of Stephanie's offers—she was debating whether she should black out everyone else's information, but she knew they would probably confer anyway—plus the personalized contract from Shane. "First of all, I want to say that all of this came to me. I didn't go seeking it out."

"That's not ominous at all," Roman remarked. 

"Just . . . hear me out. Roman, you already know the first part. A few days ago, Stephanie called me into her office. She . . . had pictures of me in Florida. Nothing explicit," she added quickly, knowing where Seth's mind would go. "But proof that I was there, and that I was hanging out with all of you. I assumed she was going to blackmail me, but she wants to 'test the waters', as she put it—she wants to see what it would take to get you all back. She gave me a list of potential offers for each of you." She thought back to that notably blank line under Seth's and felt her shoulders stiffen.

Neither Roman nor Seth spoke for a long moment. "Do you believe her?" Roman said at last, voice curiously solemn. It made Becky wonder if he had been considering a return on his own. He was the only one of the group with a family to consider, so it made perfect sense that he would be looking for job security. Would their group still be together if it had been Roman who returned and not her? Becky doubted it. Even if Roman's protective nature could be overbearing at times, he was the glue that kept them together.

"I don't know. She didn't want me mentioning anything to Hunter, so I'm guessing she has her own agenda going on. Then when I was talking with you, Roman, I got a call on the hotel phone." Becky shut her eyes. _I shouldn't be talking to them. I shouldn't have even told Roman the first time. This has to be a trap somehow._

"I remember that. You got a package, right?" She could picture Roman nodding slowly. "From Steph?"

"No. From another McMahon whose name starts with _S_." Becky let them mull it over for a moment before saying, "Shane. It was from Shane."

" _Shane O'Mac_ Shane?" Roman asked incredulously. "I thought he ditched the family business years ago. Wasn't he working for some big Asian conglomerate or something?"

"Apparently he's back in the fold. There was a card with a phone number in the box, so I called," Becky continued, "and he wanted to meet."

"Let me guess," Seth said dryly. "He wants us all back too."

Becky picked up the nearest contract cluster—it happened to be Bayley's—and tapped it nervously against her knee. She had thought having her hands free would make her less anxious but now she felt herself missing the feel of her fingers curled around her phone. "Yeah. And he even drew up potential contracts. I've skimmed everything," she admitted fully, "because I wanted to see if the offers were even worth considering."

Roman and Seth shared another pause. "And?"

"They're open to negotiation," Becky replied, "but they look solid. I mean, there's good stuff in them. If it weren't the McMahons involved, I would have no hesitation in suggesting you guys take the offers, but since you know what the McMahons can be like. . . ."

"I'm sorry you're in the middle of this, Becks," Roman said, taking her by surprise. "It's not fair to you. If they want us back, they should be coming to us. It's not like we're hard to find."

"Maybe it's a gesture of good faith on their parts," Becky suggested feebly. "I don't know. But I made copies of everything, and I thought maybe we could meet up quickly tomorrow so I could give you all the information in person. I made copies tonight and Cesaro figured out a good meeting spot, if you bring the van instead of your bikes."

Becky recognized Seth's soft, derisive snort. "And is Cesaro coming too?"

"Seth." Roman's voice was low and rumbled with warning. "Becky's doing the best she can."

A flash of irritation made Becky's hackles rise. How much of her evening had she spent planning a meeting and getting prepared, and Seth was going to be petty? How many times did she have to tell him Cesaro was just a friend? If he didn't believe her about that, did he trust her about anything? "If you guys aren't interested in the offers," she said brusquely, "just say so and I'll let Stephanie and Shane know. I don't want to waste your time."

"Becks, I didn't mean—" Seth stopped so abruptly, Becky was sure Roman had something to do with it.

"I'll text you the location information and you can fill in the others. I'll have an envelope for whoever decides to show up." Leaning back, she rapped her knuckles on the side table to imitate a knock. "Gotta go. Orton's doing check-ins since Hunter's away," she fibbed.

"Orton?" The jealousy that had been in Seth's voice earlier turned into concern. "Becky, don't—"

"Hope to see you tomorrow. Bye." She jabbed the disconnect button before she could stop herself, then gathered up all the envelopes and set them on the desk. It would be a while before she was calm enough to sleep, but she didn't want to look at anything that had to do with a McMahon. Unfortunately, these days, that would mean avoiding the mirror too.


	12. Chapter 12

"Are you sure you still want to do this?" Cesaro was sitting on his bike, looking up at the hotel. As soon as Randy Orton had noticed them leaving, he asked for details, but Cesaro had made up a smooth lie about having Stephanie's permission. Since Stephanie wanted Becky to woo The Shield and the Four Horsewomen on her behalf, it was vaguely true in a way. All the envelopes with the offers were in Becky's bag, but she kept looking at her motorcycle like it was a book in a language she couldn't read. "We don't have to. You can call Seth or Charlotte or whichever one you want and just tell them things changed and you can't go. Tell them Orton's being an asshole—that's pretty much always true—or that I wouldn't let you go."

Most of the bitterness that had shadowed Becky the night before was gone now, so she wasn't sure why she was hesitating. Cesaro was scheduled for the signing, so they had to be back by a certain time. But it was more than the limited time frame and lingering annoyance at Seth's reaction. _What if some of them aren't interested?_ she thought, the dread sitting heavy in her stomach. _What if none of them want to come back?_ She couldn't begrudge them their freedom, but Becky still knew it would sting if everyone declined the offers and left her to do her penance in WWE alone. "No, I'm good. They deserve to know their options."

"Do they?" Lowering his sunglasses over his eyes, Cesaro leaned on the handlebars of his bike and watched her; she could feel his gaze even if she couldn't see it. "Has even one of them suggested trying to come back so you wouldn't be on your own? They're your friends, Becky. I know that. I'm not trying to insult them. But from what I can see, you seem to be putting forth most of the effort into the friendship."

Becky's first instinct was to defend them. Of course they cared. Of course they worried about her and wanted them to all be together, however that might play out—but Cesaro had a point. _And Cesaro is also in Hunter's pocket,_ she reminded herself. It was her first instinct to ignore that too, to paint him as an ally if not an outright friend. She missed the pack-like structure of touring with The Shield and the Four Horsewomen, the way it felt more like a family. Naomi and the Usos were great, and Becky was getting closer to some of the other women on the roster, but it wasn't the same. "I know," she admitted softly, taking a deep breath and straddling her bike at last. "I'll give them the envelopes and that's it. I won't try to sway them one way or the other."

"That's not what I meant." Cesaro paused before putting on his helmet. "I just think you deserve better, that's all. I saw some of your indie matches, and you and Bayley were always the hardest workers—and the least appreciated. A tag team works together, right? When they needed help, you tagged yourself in. When have they done the same?" He lowered his helmet and revved his motor, effectively ending the conversation. 

Putting on her own helmet and feeling its comforting weight was almost a relief; it saved her from replying. His words weighed on her for the entire ride, though. On one hand, Cesaro didn't know the entire story. She hadn't ever come right out and told her friends _I can't do this alone. It's too hard. I need help._ But should she need to? If Charlotte had brokered the deal for the group, Becky would have been constantly checking in with her, trying to reunite as soon as she could. She would have done that for any of them, or at least she liked to think so. On the other hand, maybe they realized how difficult it was for her to be so far away and they didn't want to rub it in. She could see so many angles, understand so many points of view, and it just made trying to find her way through it all even harder.

When they arrived at the park Cesaro had found the night before, it was empty. It appeared to be part of a new subdivision, but the funding must have fallen through, because most of the houses in the area looked unfinished. Despite that, the park was pristine; Becky wondered how many locals even knew it was there. "How many are you expecting to come?" Cesaro asked after they had parked and went over to the swings. Since there was no one else around, they left their helmets and bags on a nearby bench.

Becky shrugged, staring down at the blurring ground as she swung up and down. "I don't know. I only talked to Roman and Seth. They were supposed to let the others know. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't." She glanced quickly at her watch, thinking they had the time wrong, but they were only ten minutes early.

"Becky . . . I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you doubt your friends." Cesaro's voice was solemn, almost eerie in the empty playground. "I'm sure they have their reasons, just like you have yours."

"What would you have done?" It wasn't something Becky could remember asking anyone since she had returned, not even Naomi. She kept telling herself that it wasn't fair, that it was entirely hypothetical. Mostly she just didn't want to hear someone else come up with a better alternative in five minutes and then spend the next two years wondering why it hadn't occurred to her. "If you had a group of friends and Hunter had approached you, what would you have done?"

Cesaro shook his head. "Don't do that to yourself, Becky. Hindsight is 20-20, as they say. Knowing what you know now, of course you would have done some things differently."

"Just answer." Becky's voice was almost lost under the creak of the swings' chains. "Please."

"I don't know. Honestly. I've never been part of a stable or a group that I was so close to. I can't imagine doing what you did, taking that risk." When she glanced over at him, Cesaro gave her a soft smile. "You're very brave, and you're very kind. Anyone you call a friend is very lucky indeed."

"What do you think you are?" Becky laughed as the question caught him off guard, making his feet trail enough that his momentum stuttered. "I mean, I know I'm no Sheamus, but we talk and go out for coffee and stuff." She didn't think she would ever stop feeling like an assignment and she would probably always hold back with him to a degree, but that didn't mean they couldn't be friends on some level. It wouldn't be as deep and abiding as what she had with the Four Horsewomen, but what else could be?

Grinning, Cesaro was about to reply when a large van pulled up, parking one spot over from Becky's bike. He was careful to school his face into a neutral expression, but Becky still caught a hint of disappointment when Seth stepped out. She tried to keep her relief in check as she saw friend after friend step out of the van until all seven were standing on the sidewalk. "Nice bike, Irish," Dean called out. "I hope you made Hunter pay for all of it. Yours isn't half bad either, Caesar."

"It's Cesaro," Becky called back. Turning to Cesaro, she whispered, "He's just messing with you. Come on and I'll introduce you."

Cesaro looked like he was going to decline, but he slowed his swing to a stop and stepped off, following Becky over to the others. "I already know most of them by reputation," he said.

"And probably because Stephanie gave you a dossier of people to look out for when you were babysitting me," Becky added with a grin. Now that her restrictions had been relaxed somewhat, she could joke about them a bit more, but whenever she got too comfortable, the pictures from her Florida vacation flashed in her mind. "Hey, guys. This is Cesaro."

Renee waved at him. "Hey. He's amazing. Most underrated wrestler in the company, male or female."

Cesaro bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Thank you, Renee. I appreciate that."

Becky hadn't really thought of Renee as being a bridge between both groups as well, but it made sense. When Renee caught her gaze and pointed to Dean, Becky nodded; if Renee was willing to cover the introductions, it would give her time to greet people instead. "This is my husband, Dean Ambrose. Whenever I want to watch shows on TLC, he insists he doesn't remember getting married, but I have proof and witnesses. He and Roman and Seth here make up The Shield."

Seth had been trying to work his way around to Becky, but now he was trapped in the social niceties of handshakes and introductions. While the guys made small talk, Becky hugged the Four Horsewomen. "Hey, ladies. How have you been?"

"Missing you, of course." Sasha kissed her cheek. "And Charlotte's dating some Latino Heat wannabe now," she added with a playful eyeroll, "so now she's always _busy_."

"His name is Andrade," Charlotte said, shaking her head, "and Becky already knows about him, so nice try." She pulled Becky closer and kissed the top of her head. "Love you, crazy girl."

"And I've been campaigning for a dog," Bayley reported, giving Becky a big squeeze. "Since we're staying in house rentals now and not hotels, it's easier to find a place that's dog friendly."

Becky's heart twinged a bit. That didn't sound like someone who wanted off the indie circuit. "You could call her Becky," she suggested, making herself smile. "And send me ridiculous pictures."

Sasha was the first to notice the shift in her mood. "So what's this all about, Becks? Seth and Roman wouldn't say much. They just said you had something you needed to talk to us about in person, but that you wouldn't have a lot of time."

"Yeah, Cesaro has a signing at three, so we've only got about an hour. We should have got you guys to pick up coffee on the way, but. . . ." Becky forced herself to stop before she could say anything like _I wasn't sure any of you were coming at all_.

The mere mention of coffee made Bayley perk up. "We passed a really great-looking place on the way here! It was Italian and had those little bistro chairs and a chalkboard menu on the sidewalk and I wanted to stop, but Roman was in Dad mode."

The guys edged closer then, and Becky was mildly impressed that there hadn't been any bloodshed. "Switch?" Cesaro suggested. 

"Actually, Bayley was just talking about a coffee shop. It's probably the one you had found." Becky kept her voice mild as she added, "Maybe you and Bayley and Seth should go pick up the coffees. I'll wait for the reveal until you get back."

Seth's brow furrowed in confusion. "But you—"

"You haven't hugged me yet, you monster!" Renee smoothed over that awkwardness as well, sneaking in between people to embrace Becky. "Hey, you! You've been killing it on TV, girl! Oh my god! Whenever I'm doing interviews with other women on the indies, they're all saying they want to cut promos like you've been doing. It's so incredible to finally see the women getting more mic time."

Cesaro tapped Becky's shoulder. "Your regular?" He had his phone in his other hand, typing out notes for everyone's drinks.

Becky nodded without thinking. "Yes, please. And a pas—"

Cesaro turned his phone to show her his list. Under _BECKY_ was _pastry with chocolate_. "Like I said, your regular. Renee, what would you like?"

"You know all the fancy coffees, right?" When both Becky and Cesaro nodded, Renee said, "Surprise me. Dazzle me. But no hazelnuts."

"Got it." Cesaro moved on, chatting easily with Bayley, Charlotte, and Sasha about their favourite coffees and offering suggestions if they wanted to try something new.

Becky followed Renee back over to The Shield. "Thanks for coming," she said. "Sorry about the short notice." She hugged Seth first since he would be leaving with Bayley and Cesaro, but pulled away quickly to hug Dean next. 

"Hey, Irish. For real, you made Hunter pay for the bike, right?" Dean asked, looking back at her motorcycle again. 

Just like Renee, Dean always knew how to lighten the mood. "I didn't _make him_ ," she corrected. "It was part of my offer. I guess. I added it on at the end as a joke, but Hunter took it seriously, so I wasn't going to argue."

"Our girl's got negotiating skills." Roman picked her up and gave her one of the all-encompassing hugs she had teased him about so often. "My girls send their love. JoJo's super stoked that you're on TV again, and Galina begged me to tell you that you need a new t-shirt design, because JoJo has already worn out three Becky Lynch shirts."

Becky laughed. "That explains why my merchandise cut was nice this quarter." Our of the corner of her eye, she watched Seth drift over to the van, but the tension in her shoulders didn't release until the van rumbled away. "Sorry. He just upset me last night and—"

"Holy shit! The park has a teeter-totter!" Dean's face lit up and he grabbed Renee's hand, dragging her through the sand. "I haven't seen one of those in years."

"Probably because you're a grown-ass man who has no reason to go to a playground?" Renee answered with a laugh.

"I had a talk with Seth," Roman said softly, kissing the top of Becky's head as the Four Horsewomen approached. "He'll behave." While they waited for the others to return with their coffees, the remaining friends explored the park and chatted. Roman pushed Bayley so high on the swing she claimed she could see the van coming back, which no one believed until it pulled into the parking lot a minute later. 

Seth had insisted on driving, which didn't surprise Becky, and Cesaro and Bayley carried the take-out trays over to the park, handing out the drinks. "He's not horrible," Cesaro whispered as he handed Becky her coffee and her pastry, "but his pronunciation is atrocious."

"I can live with that," Becky said with a smile as she took the envelopes out of her bag and looked down at the names she had written on each. It had taken her a while to write the notes, especially after her mood had soured, but she hoped her friends appreciated them. "Thanks for going along."

Cesaro returned the smile. "Of course. Most Americans probably think a _cortado_ is some sort of natural disaster." Shaking his head, he continued on his way, matching drinks to the people who had ordered them. She devoured her pastry in hopes that it would settle her stomach, but it only made her hungrier.

Once everyone had their drinks—and, in some cases, had thanked Cesaro for his suggestion—Becky held the envelopes above her head. "There's an envelope for each of you," she began, "and each one of you has separate offers from Stephanie McMahon and Shane McMahon." Murmurs of confusion and surprise rippled through the group, so Becky let everyone take a few moments to express their shock before she continued. "Stephanie approached me first, and her offer is more vague. Everyone's is on the same paper and I thought about blacking stuff out, but you're all going to discuss them anyway. She made a point of saying that Hunter doesn't know, but she could be lying."

From the looks on their faces, Becky could tell what a few of her friends wanted to say— _If a McMahon is talking, then they're lying_ —but they were all too aware of Cesaro's presence. _Good,_ she thought, allowing herself a brief moment of pettiness. _Now they know what I go through every day._ "Then later that same night, I received a message from Shane, and he asked to meet. He went so far as to draw up potential contracts, but both of them said they're open to negotiations. Obviously, it's up to you. You don't even have to read the offers. But I thought you deserved to know. You don't need to make a decision right now—Cesaro and I will have to leave pretty soon—so take your time."

When she felt a tap on her shoulder, she saw Cesaro holding out a hand. "Give me some," he said gently. "I'll help pass them around."

She was tempted to give him the envelopes for The Shield and Renee, but Becky forced herself to keep those and she handed him the stack for the Four Horsewomen instead. "Thanks." She gave Renee her envelope first. "And you thought they'd forgot about you," Becky teased.

"They probably did," Renee said. Then she poked Dean in the chest as Becky gave him his offers. "But then they realized if they wanted him, they'd have to include me. Package deal."

"It didn't say anything about that on the marriage licence," Dean replied, bumping Renee with his shoulder. "Are you sure you have the right husband? Maybe it's that Arda guy. . . ."

Becky left them to their banter and turned to Roman and Seth, handing them their offers silently before sipping at her drink. "Here you go. I'll leave you to it—"

"Stay." Seth's hand closed gently around her free wrist, and when she looked down at him, sitting on the edge of the park with his feet in the sand, his gaze was deep enough to drown in. "Please."

Her gaze slid over to Roman. "Is that okay? I don't want to pressure you."

Roman's lips quirked in a smile. "It's fine, Irish. You're one of us, remember? We just have a little custody problem going on, that's all."

"That's one way of putting it." Becky sat down beside Seth but left a sliver of room, which he quickly closed. "Cesaro hasn't read them, if you're worried about that. Well, I don't know if Steph showed him her offers, but he didn't see Shane's. While I was making the copies," she explained, licking some foam off her take-out lid, "he was finding a good spot to meet. I guess I could have sent everything over to you by courier. . . ."

"This is fine," Roman assured her. "Would have been nice to get some bike time, but that would have made the coffees more difficult." Then he gestured over to Cesaro, who was chatting with the Four Horsewomen. "He seems nice."

"He is. I know he's working for Stephanie," Becky said before either of them could protest, "so I watch what I say, but he gives me a lot of latitude. More than Orton would, anyway."

Roman's gaze went dark. "Did he give you any trouble last night? Orton?"

Becky remembered her fib just in time and shook her head. "Just the usual. I'm used to it."

"Is that _negotiable_?" Roman asked. When Becky gave him a confused look, he tapped his envelope, still unopened. Seth looked up from Stephanie's sheet of offers and glanced from Becky to Roman as if they were playing tennis. "All your . . . restrictions. Needing a chaperone like Cesaro. Having to check in. Are those negotiable?"

"If they were," Becky said dryly, "don't you think I'd be trying to get out of some of them?"

But Roman shook his head. "Not you. Could it be in my negotiations? Or Seth's? Anybody's? Could I tell Shane that I want you out from under Stephanie's thumb? Could I tell Steph I won't sign until all your restrictions are lifted?"

Becky wasn't sure what to say. It wasn't something she had considered, even when she had been moping over the fact that her friends hadn't taken any measures to try getting her back. "I . . . I don't know," she mumbled. "I never asked." She had been so prepared for her friends to reject the idea outright without even reading the offers that the idea of her becoming a bargaining point hadn't even crossed her mind.

"If we _all_ included it," Seth added, "they would have no choice." At first he seemed a bit embarrassed that he hadn't thought of the idea first, but then he wrapped a hand around Becky's knee and left it there, squeezing as he read through Shane's prospective contract.

"Or they could figure I put you all up to it and dismiss it outright," Becky pointed out, swirling the last of the coffee in her cup before drinking it.

"Let us worry about that."As Roman finally started reading his offer, he lingered on the page from Stephanie. "What's with the blank line under Seth's?"

Seth's shrug was a bit stiff. "Probably just a typo."

Roman wasn't convinced. "She picked the most nondescript font and paper imaginable. Steph knew what she was doing. That's deliberate." Then he held his sheet up to the sky. "Maybe it's not visible on the copies."

"The original's back in my motel room," Becky said. "I can check it tonight."

"It's nothing. Maybe she had something there and changed her mind," Seth suggested. His posture went even more rigid as Cesaro approached. 

"Becky, I hate to interrupt," Cesaro began, "but we should probably get going. I just got a traffic alert about a pile-up. We'll have to detour around it, and that'll probably add at least twenty minutes to our ride." Clearing his throat, he added, "If Orton hadn't seen us this morning, I would say you should stay and just text me when you got back, but—"

"I know." Sighing, Becky stood. "Does anyone collect the trash from this park? It looks like no one even comes here. . . ."

"Just leave your cups with us," Roman said as he stood. "We'll be stopping for snacks on the way back anyway and we can toss out all the trash then." Then he held out a hand for Cesaro to shake. "Nice to meet you. You're a great wrestler. If I end up back in WWE, I'd love to feud with you."

Cesaro smiled broadly. "I hope it happens." He didn't exactly turn cold towards Seth, but he knew not to push his luck. "It was nice meeting you, Seth."

"Likewise." Becky gave Seth a sharp look after Cesaro went to say goodbye to the others. "What? I know you're not dating him or anything, but—" This time Roman shot him a look and Seth sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry." He held Becky for a long moment before kissing her. "I just miss you and I'm jealous of anyone who gets to see you every day."

Becky highly doubted he'd give Naomi or the Usos the same treatment, but she didn't push it. There were too many goodbyes to say, and she was tired of questioning everyone's words and motives. "I miss you too." Rising on tiptoe, she put her mouth to his ear and whispered, "If it's not a good deal, don't take it just because I'm there. We'll find another way." Then she pulled back. "Good luck in the rest of the tournament, guys. Keep me posted."

"Will do." Roman gave her a big hug. "You take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will." Becky did her rounds, saying goodbye to Dean and Renee next before ending with the Four Horsewomen. "Don't tell me what you think of the deals," she said as soon as Bayley started to speak. "Think them over. You've seen what happens when someone makes a hasty decision about a contract."

"Love you, babe." Charlotte hugged her first and then Bayley and Sasha joined in, creating a warm huddle. "We'll call you tonight, okay? Is around midnight good?"

Becky nodded. "That'll be fine. Good luck with the tournament." Part of her wished her friends would leave first, but it was Cesaro with the time constraints, so she gathered her things and headed for her bike. "Thank you, Cesaro. I really appreciate it."

"I know you do." Cesaro nodded subtly towards her friends, who were now gathering at a picnic table to compare their offers. "I just hope they do too."

Becky thought they did, but she couldn't be certain. She wasn't sure what she expected from the meeting, and maybe she would have gotten more out of it if she hadn't been holding herself back, but it all left her feeling a bit empty, and the rush of highway speeds on their way back to their hotel did nothing to whisk away her unease.


	13. Chapter 13

Waiting was one of the hardest games to play, or at least it was for Becky. After she had given the offers to all her friends on Sunday, she expected to hear from at least one of them by midnight. She did, because Charlotte called, but she didn't bring up Stephanie's or Shane's offers at all; instead she wanted to chat about Andrade and ask if Becky and Seth were having problems. As the week went by, the others messaged her as well, but they never brought up the contents of their envelopes and if Becky tried raising the subject, they either ignored the question or gently brushed it off. "I have to talk with Galina about it more," Roman had said. "Renee's chair is probably still warm from when she left," Dean had quipped. Seth hadn't contacted her until Wednesday, and their first post-contract chat was full of pauses and awkwardness. 

_It's up to them, not me,_ she kept telling herself. That didn't stop Stephanie and Shane from asking her, though. Stephanie started peppering her with questions as soon as she entered the arena at the RAW after the meeting. "Cesaro said you gave them the offers yesterday. What did they say?"

"I just gave them the offers _yesterday_. They need time to look them over, to discuss things with their families." Becky was glad she hadn't stopped for a coffee like she had planned, because it probably would have been all over the floor. 

Stephanie tried to rein in her impatience, but she still waved a hand irritably. "Yes, yes, fine. What were they saying about the offers, then? Did they seem interested? Do you think they'll agree?"

Becky didn't spend a lot of time around Stephanie, but she couldn't remember ever seeing her so flustered. _She really wants to get this done before Hunter comes back,_ she thought. _Curious_. "I don't know. I didn't get much chance to talk with any of them. Cesaro had the signing yesterday afternoon, so we didn't stay long." Becky guessed that Cesaro hadn't included much in his report, because Stephanie wasn't ranting about her brother's audacity. She knew Stephanie could go on all day, though, so she offered her a tidbit. "I could see Roman being interested. He's got a family, so he would appreciate the stability."

"But I don't just want one or two," Stephanie muttered. "I want stables! I want factions! I want to build rosters that will make the Attitude Era fans stop their bitching about good things were back then." It must have been more than she wanted to say, because Stephanie shut up abruptly. "The instant you hear _anything_ ," she told Becky, "you let me know. I'll tell my assistant to put your calls directly through."

"Okay." Becky was just glad to get away from her. Shane's questioning wasn't as obsessive, at least. He would text her a simple question mark, to which she would reply with a single N for _no_. It was more impersonal, but at least it was better for her nerves. When the pestering from both McMahon siblings stopped, Becky assumed some of her friends must have made contact, but both Stephanie and Shane were suspiciously silent on the matter. 

_Who's most likely to give me an answer?_ Becky thought as she settled in for a rare two-day stint at home. She had the Thursday off and wasn't scheduled for the house show on Friday. Normally, given so much time to herself, she would have called her friends to see if they were busy, but if they weren't answering her questions about the contract offers, they weren't likely to try arranging a day to hang out either. _Bayley? No._ She felt a bit guilty for assessing her friends in much the same way that Seth probably had when he originally tried to infiltrate their group. Becky knew better; Bayley was far from the weakest link. _Not Sasha either. Maybe Charlotte?_ Charlotte owed her, after all, not that Becky really looked at it that way. Good deeds lost some of their warmth if you had ulterior motives.

_Seth._ She wanted him to be her first answer, her logical answer. He had been in a similar position; he should know how she felt, being on the outs. After Sunday and then the strained calls, however, she wasn't so sure. _And not Roman._ In the end, she returned to her first lifeline: Dean. _Have you even read your offers yet, or did you use them to start a fire?_ At least with him she could turn it into a joke.

Ten minutes later, Dean replied with every fire-related emoji his phone probably had. Once that message came through, another quickly followed. _Renee and I have almost decided. We'll talk to you about it on the weekend. Sorry we've all been quiet. Things have been weird this week._

It was a dizzying amount of full, coherent sentences from Dean, and Becky wasn't sure what to make of it. She wanted to ask more about the 'weirdness', ask how people were doing, but somehow she felt like she didn't have the right. She was the one who had upended everything, so she could hardly complain if they didn't want her to be part of the clean-up process. _Okay. Hope everyone's doing well. Does Charlotte have Andrade living with you yet?_

_He might as well be, but no. He's still got a lot of matches in Mexico, so he goes back and forth,_ Dean replied. _His English isn't great and her Spanish sucks, but I guess they're at the stage where words aren't a big deal yet._

Becky texted back and forth with Dean for a bit before signing off, claiming she had an incoming call. The fib must have courted fate, because half an hour later, just as she was about to leave for her workout, her phone rang. The number came up as Shane's, but she still answered cautiously. "Hello?"

"Hey, Becky. I did a bit of snooping around and saw that you have Friday off," Shane began. "Feel like another brunch on the company dime? Your place is in L.A., right? I'll be in Anaheim on business on Friday and I can send a car for you—"

"I can take my bike. I've got one at home." She had tried leaving Los Angeles behind when she returned to WWE, but its call was too strong. Hunter agreed that it was a large city and her friends were unlikely to find her if she moved to a different neighbourhood, and she had managed to find an even better condo than the one where she had originally lived. It was fate, she told herself; when everything else in her life was in upheaval, Los Angeles was always there for her. "Where did you want to meet?" Since it seemed unlikely that any of her friends were going to get in touch, she might as well get a delicious free meal; she hadn't visited Anaheim for a while, so she could even put the saddlebags on her bike and do a bit of shopping.

Shane listed off the address for a high-end cafe. "I have it booked until two," he added, "so there's no rush. I'll see you Friday, then."

"Shane, wait. Have . . . have you heard anything from The Shield or the Four Horsewomen?" Becky knew it probably wasn't wise to admit ignorance, but she was starting to get worried. "They said they wanted to keep me out of it so I didn't feel like I was in the middle," she fibbed smoothly, "but I have to admit, I'm curious."

"Nothing to report yet," Shane replied solemnly, "but I'll be sure to keep you in the loop."

_Corporate speak. My favourite,_ Becky thought. "Thanks. I appreciate it. See you tomorrow." Now that she had something to plan for, she could distract herself. The bike would need to be prepped and she should take it for a test ride around the neighbourhood since it had been a while since she had it out. Her phone would need to be charged and she should check traffic for any construction detours, maybe ask some friends if Anaheim had any new stores she should visit while she was there. It was all a lovely diversion until she was on the road for the relatively short ride. Then the road and the rumble of her bike were all she needed. Rides were always better with friends, she had to admit, but there was something beautiful about a solo run too, about being the only bike on the road in a sea of bland SUVs.

When she reached the cafe, Becky was reluctant to get off her bike. The ride had been like a good workout, reminding her of muscles she had been neglecting. _I'll need to do that more often,_ she thought as she finally dismounted and took off her helmet. Cesaro would probably be up for more casual rides, and hopefully Hunter would as well when he returned; Becky knew he was was one of her bosses and that she always had to watch what she said and did around him, but when he was on his bike he transformed to something almost like a friend. 

Becky wasn't sure where she was supposed to enter, so she started to walk around to the front of the building when a rear door open and Shane himself appeared. "Hey! You're early! Even better. The first batch of maple swirls are out. You'll love them."

"Thanks," Becky said as he held the door open for her. "I didn't see your bike out there."

Shane shook his head. "I had to leave my beauty behind, unfortunately. I have meetings all afternoon, so I came in the limo. I have it for the day," he reasoned, "so might as well get my money's worth, right?" The front of the cafe was shuttered off, and he led her up a wide staircase. "No digital ordering here, but the staff are amazing. And before I forget, I've been in touch with some of your friends."

Becky's heart fluttered a bit. He wouldn't have called her all the way to Anaheim just to say no one was interested, would he? That seemed a bit harsh, even for a McMahon. "Any interest?"

"I've got everything on my phone," Shane replied. "I'll show you in the dining room."

The decor of this cafe was vaguely Victorian, so Becky had expected some weirdly shaped silhouettes. When they entered the dining room, however, it was obvious that the high-backed chairs weren't responsible for all the strange shadows, and unless one of the staff members had a punk aesthetic, it wasn't a statue with teal hair in the chair closest to her. "I'm tired of getting the third or fourth hug," Sasha said as she rose to her feet. "All these other bitches can wait."

Becky barely registered the hug for almost half a minute, her helmet falling from her grasp and rolling up against the wall. Her brain was too busy taking in the seven people around the table, matching faces to names and voices and quirks. "Sasha! The rest of us want hugs too!" Bayley crowded in on the other side and Becky flashed back to their surprise appearance at the villa in Florida.

"Oh my god. Is this why you guys were so quiet all week?" Becky asked as Charlotte joined the hug, kissing the top of her head. The cynical part of her brain tried to remind her that their presence there didn't mean anything, but Becky refused to believe it. That good feeling that had suffused her all the way to Anaheim had to mean something, and this was it.

"We like surprising you," Roman laughed. "At least with good surprises." 

After the Four Horsewomen finally let Becky go, Renee swooped in for a lingering hug, letting Becky have a clearer look around. Her friends had obviously been there long enough to order drinks, because there were steaming cups of coffee all along the table. "Your bikes," she burst out. "The van. I didn't see them. . . ."

Shane smiled as he sat down at the head of the table; the spot to his right was left open, presumably for her. "Like I said, I have meetings all afternoon." He gestured at The Shield, Renee, and the Four Horsewomen. "Lots of contracts to finalize. The limo was a handy way to get all of us here without creating a scene."

"They didn't let me stick my head out of the sunroof, Irish," Dean complained as he hugged Becky. "I mean, what are the damn things for if not to get some fresh air?" Leaning close to her ear, he whispered, "Thank you. It was getting so hard to keep my damn mouth shut. Renee almost took my phone away so I couldn't blab."

Seth and Roman shared a look before Seth waved him forward. "Save the best for last," Seth declared with a small smile.

"Hey, man, if you're silly enough to wait, I won't argue." Roman picked Becky up and gave her a huge hug. "How did it feel to have a solo ride? You haven't been able to do that for a while, I imagine."

Becky smiled. "It was nice." Behind her, she could hear the others taking their seats, but she turned her focus to Seth, who wordlessly pulled her into a hug. "Hi."

"I hate lying to you," he mumbled into her hair, fingers twitching against her back. "After . . . after the start we had, I told myself I wasn't going to lie to you again, so not saying anything was so hard. . . ."

"I get it." Becky pulled back enough to kiss his cheek. No one was staring at them, but she knew that most of the things they needed to say to each other should be in private, or at least not within earshot of a McMahon. "We can talk about it later, okay?" she said, squeezing his hand as she sat in the chair between his and Shane's.

Shane looked down the length of the table with a proud smile. "Well, Becky, I'm guessing you can figure out what the news is." When there was a knock on the door, he called out for the person to enter. "I figured that between all these guys," he added, gesturing to her friends seated all around the table, "they could figure out what you might like to have." Four cafe workers filed in, depositing plates in front of each person. The one who had Becky's plate also had a cup of coffee.

"I asked Cesaro what your favourites were," Seth said, leaning over and dropping a quick kiss on her shoulder. "I even took notes on the pronunciations so I'd remember."

"Thank you." Becky reached up and stroked his beard quickly while the servers were still distributing the food. Once the staff had left, she raised an eyebrow at Shane. "You signed all of them?" Her heart gave a strange flutter. Even if they were on the opposing show, at least they would be in the same company again. Sometimes the house shows were mixed, after all, and there were always the pay-per-views where they could hang out backstage.

"It was a tough sell. I mean, I thought my contracts were pretty fair," Shane replied, sipping at his drink, "but they brought up some additional points." 

"They're going to sign Andrade." Charlotte was practically glowing. "Not on the main roster. Not yet. But Shane's going to get him on NXT. He's really good, though, so it won't take him long to move up."

"And there were a few other moves." Shane reached down and set some papers on the table beside Becky. At first, she thought it was one of the amended contracts; it had the same WWE logo, the same legalese lead-in. Then she read the name. 

"Me? I'm already in WWE." Confused, Becky kept reading, her mind trying to grasp the legal language and failing; she was too overwhelmed, too giddy to focus. "And . . . and Hunter. . . ."

"Hunter's not a happy boy at the moment," Shane agreed with a chuckle. "But he and I have made a deal behind the scenes. Don't worry, don't worry." He put up his hands in a calming gesture when Roman narrowed his eyes. "It won't affect any of you. It's mostly upper-level management stuff, and a few trades among the women's roster so RAW isn't totally depleted."

"You're coming to SmackDown with us!" Charlotte blurted, drumming her hands happily on the table and nearly spilling her coffee. 

"You gave up enough for us," Roman added with a wink. "Too much, if we're being honest. So we made sure you got some perks. And most of your restrictions are off. Your probationary status is waived." Roman ticked items off on his fingers as he listed them. "The one-year no-complete clause is back down to the standard ninety days."

"And no more chaperones necessary," Seth added, "so Cesaro can be just a friend, not a babysitter." Then he shrugged and smiled. "You're right. He's not bad. And he knows his coffee."

"You can read over the contract, of course," Shane suggested, "but let's eat first—and toast to the return of The Shield, The Four Horsewomen, and Renee, the first of hopefully many female commentators in WWE and wrestling in general."

"And to pissing off Stephanie!" Dean chimed in, holding his cup up even higher. 

Shane laughed. "I think that's something we can all enjoy."


	14. Chapter 14

The first time Becky had been at the villa in Florida, her visit had been full of surprises. Now that she knew exactly who was going to be there this time, the only real shock was how good the former hotel was looking. "Yeah, there's not much left to do," Jimmy was saying as he led the group around. "All the suites are fully upgraded now. We have to replace the oven in the main kitchen; it still works, but something's not up to code or whatever. And we need to get the pool re-certified.

"Other than that," Jey declared, "it's open to family. And yes, all of you are family."

Becky was near the back of the group, walking alongside with Naomi. "It's so good to see you. I miss you so much!" She had spent so much of her time on RAW either feeling alone or paranoid, and now that she was released from her restrictive contract, she could finally see more of Monday night's good parts instead of only the bad. She felt a bit guilty that Cesaro wasn't there too; now that he was no longer assigned to her, they had a genuine friendship and, better yet, that connection seemed to be extending to her friends as well.

"I miss you like crazy too, girl, but I'd rather see you _happy_ than see you often." Naomi pointed ahead to where Seth was helping Jimmy reposition the industrial-sized outdoor barbecue and she smiled. "So now that you've had a couple months with him, are things still good? There's plenty of room if you want separate suites."

Laughing, Becky shook her head. "No, no, we're good." She had met his family already and he would be meeting hers in a few weeks when WWE went on its next European tour; they had already had deep discussions about the future—and long arguments, the kind she only tended to have when things really mattered to her. She couldn't imagine many worse ways to start a relationship than the way they had, but it ended up getting them to a good place. "I never thought I'd want to date a wrestler, and definitely not one I worked with, but . . . it's kinda nice."

Naomi nodded. "I thought the same. I mean, we all saw what happened with Matt and Lita. But on the other hand, it's so hard to date someone outside the business. The way I look at it, Jimmy and I just have two homes: our house and the road."

Becky glanced up at the gleaming villa. It had been in decent shape the first time she was there, but now it was practically perfect. When she and the others arrived, someone on the street asked them not for autographs, but to ask how they got bookings for the hotel when there was no signage up yet. "And this place."

"I don't know, Becks. When the whole family is here?" Naomi shook her head and laughed. "That's going to be _loud_. I might have to make a she-shed on the roof or something."

"Come on, slowpokes!" Jimmy called out. "There's a tour going on, you know!"

"Oh, really?" Naomi mimed dropping gloves and jogged up to the front of the crowd, making Jimmy run around the courtyard.

While the others were cheering on either Naomi or Jimmy, Seth made his way back to Becky. "Hey. Glad to be back?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

Becky nodded. "Nothing but good memories here, really. Maybe a few bittersweet ones, but mostly good." As she looked around, she could remember the exact spot where she had been standing when her friends entered the courtyard. Even with a fresh coat of paint, she could point out the wall where she and Seth had fucked, so desperate for each other they couldn't even make it into a room. The shared meals, the lazy lounging, Dean and Renee's impromptu wedding: everywhere she looked unlocked another happy memory, some small and casual and others almost overwhelming. At the time, she thought she would need those memories to sustain her over the weeks and months she'd be spending away from her closest friends. Now they were all together again, their contracts finally working in their favour rather than against, and Becky said a silent prayer of thanks. It had been a long, hard road to get where they were, to align all of their paths and get them heading in the right direction, but it looked like they were finally there. _At least we're close,_ Becky allowed. Maybe some goals weren't ever meant to be attained in full. Maybe they weren't treasures to find but beacons to follow.

"And now we get to make even more," Seth added, resting his head against hers. "Without worrying about people seeing us together." As Jimmy started to run past, trying to evade both his wife and his brother, Seth called out, "Is it cool if we go up to the roof to watch the sunset?"

"Scout out a place for my she-shed!" Naomi replied as she chased her husband.

Seth gave Becky a strange look. "She-shed?"

"She wants a sanctuary for when the whole family is here," Becky explained, grabbing his hand. "Come on. Before we get caught up in the chase." They ducked inside, admiring all the work the family had done to fix up the old hotel. Personal and cultural touches were everywhere, and it was even more beautiful than before. She knew from dropping bags off in the suite she was sharing with Seth that the rooms were all modernized now, and she wished some of the hotels they stayed in on the road were as nice. "Can't blame her. Roman and the Usos have a big family."

"Wow." Seth stopped just outside the rooftop door, making Becky bump into him. "They did work up here too." Everything was clean and organized, split into different seating areas so multiple people could be up on the rooftop terrace at the same time and still have some privacy. "Naomi might not have space for her. . . ."

"She-shed." Becky trailed a hand over some of the lounge furniture, admiring the set-up. Everything looked impeccable yet somehow comfortable, but when she tried to pull Seth down onto one of the couches, he moved towards the railing at the edge instead. "What is it?" A shocked shriek pierced the air a moment before there was a loud splash, followed by gales of laughter. 

Seth smiled as he came back to where Becky was sitting. They had a beautiful vantage point to watch the sunset and there was plenty of room to sprawl, but he gathered her into his lap instead. "Just making sure they're busy," he murmured, pulling her into a slow kiss.

"You're going to make the wall downstairs jealous," Becky teased, settling against him. They were somewhat better now about not giving in to temptation at any given moment, but the sky was beautiful and all their friends were downstairs, and it would be so easy to push down his shorts and push up her skirt and recreate that memory without all the rushing. . . .

"The wall can wait," Seth murmured, running his hands up her thighs. "We've got time."


End file.
